Tiered Leadership Development Plans
Every church and every organization needs to have a leadership development plan and process.
BUILDING A LEADERSHIP PIPELINE
Every organization will benefit from more and better leaders! So how do you begin addressing your leadership development challenges?
Step #1: Determine Your Structure and Roles
Develop “next steps” for each level of leadership in the pipeline. Every ministry should have this same structure and roles.
Level one – LEAD SELF
Level two – LEAD OTHERS
Level three – LEAD LEADERS
Level four – LEAD A DEPARTMENT
Level five – LEAD THE ORGANIZATION
Here are some questions you will need to address:
What qualifications or prerequisites are needed for each level?
How many times do leaders gather by departments throughout the year?
How many all-leader meetings a year?
How many mentors or trainers are needed to keep up with church growth?
What is our leadership DNA across every department?
How will we guard the gate into leadership? Will we have interviews? Basic leader training seminars? How do we recruit leaders with specific follow-up steps?
How will leader-to-leader peer learning take place?
Step #2: Create Standard Operating Procedures for Each Step Up.
Determine what competencies are expected before progressing to the next level. Each level in the pipeline should have clear expectations for what people are to know, be, and do.
Level one – LEAD SELF - disciplines of the faith - practicing acts of righteousness - serving in a ministry
Level two – LEAD OTHERS - mentored by another - listening skills - facilitation skills - leading good discussions - asking great questions
Level three – LEAD LEADERS - leading 10 who lead 10 - team building - making more and better disciples
Level four – LEAD A DEPARTMENT - vision casting - healthy organizational practices - annual all leader seminars
Level five – LEAD THE ORGANIZATION - vision - staff health - internships - church planting - community impact
The idea is the develop a leadership environment where processes and opportunities are in place for an 18-year old student to come to faith in Christ today, to become a pastor 5 years from now. If the next Billy Graham/Beth Moore was in your ministry today, what would you want that person to know, be and do in preparation to be a world changing leader?
Step #3 Define Reality
Who do you have at each level? What roles need to be filled?
Ask these clarifying questions regarding the existing leadership development pathway:
What is right?
What is wrong?
What is missing?
What is confused?
It is important to honestly assess the current condition of each ministry department, asking who is ready to take the next step.
Step #4 Execute the Plan
If it is not on the calendar, it does not exist.
When will you launch departmental leadership meetings? How often will they meet? Monthly, bi-monthly?
What will you host an all leader meeting for all church vision casting?
When will you meet with your coaches (leader of leaders)?
What topics will you cover in leader meetings? What competencies are the DNA you want in every ministry?
