As we continue our focus on finishing strong, today’s topic is finishing strong during transitions. Most of us will not be leading in only one business, church or other organization in our lifetime. In fact, the younger you are the more likely you are to go through many transitions through your lifetime. So, how does a person finish strong during a transition? Obviously we could offer dozens of ways to accomplish that important process, but today let’s limit ourselves to three: 1) Leave as few loose ends as possible; 2) Set your successor up for success; and 3) If feasible, be a resource for your successor.
When we leave one place of leadership, we will undoubtedly leave some loose ends. We won’t have finished every project or accomplished every goal, but we don’t want to leave glaring loose ends for our successor to tie together. Of course, the type of transition we’re going through will dictate this to some degree. If you were fired or your position was eliminated there may well be more loose ends than if you simply moved to a different position, because it was a step forward, a new call, or for some other positive reason. Even if you were fired, you can help your successor by leaving good records of your work and projects so he or she can pick up where you left off. Make sure your paper trail (or electronic file trail) leads your successor to be able to accomplish unfinished projects.
In addition, if you have treated those who worked for you well, that is a major benefit to your successor, because they will be in a position to help with the new leader’s transition. We’ve already mentioned that in prior posts, but it is worth mentioning again, since one of the most challenging loose ends for a new leader to face is a dissatisfied follower/ worker.
Treating your workers well is part of setting your successor up for success, as is having written processes and procedures for the various activities over which you held leadership. This has always been a growth area for me, as I have “filed” most of my projects in my mind rather than on paper or a computer file. I’ve been working at developing better written processes so when I transition out of New Life in the future, my successor will have a clear understanding of what I have done. While the new leader may choose not to follow the direction or directions you have chosen at least you will help to ensure it’s possible to do so.
Another way to set your successor up for success, if you are going through a positive transition is to let your team know their new leader is going to be a blessing to them. This will only be possible if you have had some input into selecting your successor, or have at least met with him or her during the transition. If you have a lot of personal capital in your organization, transferring it to the new leader will be a major benefit.
Finally, if you can be a resource to your successor, volunteer to do so. Even the best paper trail can be difficult to follow, and having the person who started the project or set the goal explain the original intent can be a great help. Of course, you can’t be expected to invest a great deal of time in being a resource if you are moving on to another leadership position, but any time you can give will be helpful.
Because our focus has been finishing strong during transitions, I haven’t emphasized your new start, but that is an important aspect of finishing strong over the long haul. Every transition we make offers us the opportunity to start finishing strong, and to eventually have lived a life of effective leadership.
Here’s to leading better by doing what it takes to be ready for your next transition–today!