One thing you will notice if you re-watch TV series on Netflix is the transformation in the actors from season to season. Same people playing the same parts but over time the actors settle into their characters. If the acting is good and the series is well-written,there comes a point at which you almost can’t imagine the character apart from the actor.
The next few months on this blog may seem like watching the first season of any new series as I settle into my character. I have spent 17 years working for churches and non-profits so I’m comfortable with the script, but as I step out on the blogging stage it may take a while for me to find my voice.
My intention is to offer valuable content to churches and non-profits from the perspective of second chair leaders. Second chair leaders operate at what I call the functional level of an organization. The level at which the organization either functions or dysfunctions in regards to the stated vision. In the corporate world these second chair leaders are given titles like jr. executives, VPs, or managers. In the church world they’re known as Assistant, Youth or Associate pastors. Their titles are not what makes them a second chair, it’s their place in the organization. They usually sit in both the boardroom and the break room, the conference room and the classroom, the pulpit and the pew. Their situatedness provides them with a functional perspective to know whether or not the first chairs (CEO/Pastor) stated vision is connecting and working.
Creating an organization in which qualified second chair leaders are valued improves organizational health and the sustainability of the first chair’s vision. Whether you work for a church or a non-profit my hope is that first and second chair leaders will find valuable resources on this blog to help them grow their organizations in healthy, sustainable ways.
Please come back often and add your thoughts to the script.
