Three Postures in Passing the Leadership Baton

What should our posture be like when passing on the leadership baton? Rev Calvin Lee highlights three postures to adopt.

Most of us are familiar with the term ‘passing the baton’, especially those of us who have been in a relay team. Even if we have not been on a relay team, we have watched one before and we do understand the concept of passing the baton.

Leadership succession is vital for the ongoing development, growth, and sustainability of corporations including churches.

Passing the baton in a 4x100m relay race is the most critical part of the race. It happens three times, and each handover impacts the race. When it is done in a smooth and swift manner, precious seconds are gained. When the passing is not done well, it slows down the pace of both runners and valuable time is lost. If the baton is dropped, it is likely the team will lose. The passing of a baton is a good analogy for a transition of leadership. When it is done well, it will strengthen the church but when it’s done badly, it will weaken the church.

Leadership succession is vital for the ongoing development, growth, and sustainability of corporations including churches.

Warren Bird, research director for Leadership Network said “Succession planning is both biblical and essential, but there is no cookie-cutter template. The only thing that’s certain? It’s an inevitable need in every church. And we hope to move it from taboo to normal.”

In the Bible, we see leadership succession taking place from time to time be it from Moses to Joshua, Elijah to Elisha, or David to Solomon. It represents the passing of the mantle from one to another.

Let me highlight three important postures in passing the leadership baton.

Numbers 27:18-23, “So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.” Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.

When leadership succession takes place, it’s not just a special moment or historic moment but God’s divine moment especially when it’s God-directed.

1. We See It As Spiritual Not Just Natural

Numbers 27:18-19, “So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence.””

When leadership succession takes place, it’s not just a special moment or historic moment but God’s divine moment especially when it’s God-directed. It’s an immensely powerful moment because leadership succession speaks of two important elements:

First, God’s Sovereignty
God is sovereign! It’s needful that we seek Him and His guidance in this crucial area of finding the next leader or successor. When God has a task or a mission, He will choose the right man or woman for the job. That has been God’s way or method.

Second, Human Submission
It’s about the man, or woman of God responding in total submission to the will of God.

In this account, we see both Moses and Joshua submitting themselves to God’s leading. Both Moses and Joshua were God’s chosen vessels to accomplish a designated assignment for a specific season.

Therefore, it’s crucial that we see the passing of the baton as a special God’s moment for the church.

2. We Focus on the Future Not Just the Present

Numbers 27:20-21, “Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

God had not finished what He had planned for His people. Now it was time for Joshua to lead the people of Israel forward. This was God’s instruction to Joshua.

Joshua 1:3-4, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.”

Just as the Lord had a great mission for Moses, likewise, He also had a great mission for Joshua. It has to do with the ongoing task and fulfillment of God’s will for the nation of Israel.

Likewise, in passing the baton, we do it with the future in mind.

Likewise, in passing the baton, we do it with the future in mind. It is about the next person leading the church forward to greater heights to fulfill God’s plan. Prayerfully, the outcome of succession is that the church will rise to greater heights in growth and expansion. That is why we must be mission-focused, with the mission bigger than the individual as it is about His church, His will, His plan, His agenda, His kingdom.

As it concerns the future, the right person and right timing is important. You don’t want to pass on the baton too early as the next leader may not be ready for the responsibility. You also don’t want to pass on the baton too late. You don’t want to overstay your welcome in leadership.

Leadership requires correct timing in passing the baton. Brady Boyd said, ‘Succession should look like 4x100m relay. The handoff happens at full speed instead of when you’ve run out of energy.’

Passing the baton is not just about finding a replacement; it is about renewal.

Passing the baton is not just about finding a replacement; it is about renewal. Therefore, the passing should take place at a time that will enable the church to move forward strongly into the future.

3. We Do It Purposefully Not Based on Probability

Numbers 27:22-23 “Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.”

Here we see Moses’ season ending; it was time for him to step down and for Joshua to step up. God has a season or time for His chosen ones.

The truth is that we only lead for a limited length of time. In other words, there is a season or a time limit to wear the mantle or to hold the office. It is not meant to last forever. William Vanderbloemen and Warren Bird proclaimed, “Every pastor is an interim pastor.”

Hence the passing of the baton should take place when one is still healthy, strong, and able. Preferably, it should not happen when one is unhealthy, unable, or worse still, unwanted. No coach waits for an injury to raise someone up.

We need to work ourselves out of the job.

It is not about holding on but letting go. We need to work ourselves out of the job. Of course, it is easier said than done. That is where one’s conviction is so crucial. We need to realize that it has never been about us as it has always been about what is best for the church.

To some, passing the leadership baton seems to come easy. They can pass the baton just like Olympians. During their greatest burst of speed, they hand over the baton and the next person takes up the race. For others, this is not the case. They like to hold on to their position of leadership for as long as possible. Of course, there are those who tried but were not successful for some reason.

We need to heed the words of John Maxwell who said, ‘Place a higher priority on succession than on security’ and those of Bruce Miller, ‘Leadership is more like a baton than a trophy. You keep a trophy, but you hand off a baton.’

Succession needs to be purposeful.

Of course, leadership transition is complex because there are many parts to it. Therefore, it augurs well for
the church when a process and plan of succession is put in place at an early stage. Succession needs to be purposeful.

When leaders fail to plan for the inevitable transition of their senior leadership, they will likely drop the baton and cause harm to their congregation. Like in a 4x100m relay, a dropped baton can cost the team the race. If you drop the baton during the handoff, it does not matter how well you run your portion of the race. It is important that we pass the baton with much prayer, wisdom, courage, humility, and grace. A successful handover keeps the team moving in the right direction toward the finish line.

Let me conclude with this quote by John Maxwell, ‘A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession.’