Inheriting a team.

In Western culture, we get to pick our spouses - but we inherit the in-laws!

In many leadership situations we get to hire our staff. But what if you can’t select your team – because you inherit them?

A friend and I were recently discussing his imminent ministry move in which he will inherit a staff that is already functioning. How should he handle them? What should his first steps be? Move fast, make heads role, make changes while the honeymoon lasts? Or go slow, read the landscape, learn the team members?

I have inherited a team on two occasions. One time I was hired as an outsider to lead a church staff, and another time I was ‘promoted’ from within a staff to lead that team. Both moves offered their own challenges. Here are my lessons from those experiences.

1. Remember it’s not my team.

The team I am inheriting was not just formed by another leader – it belongs to another Leader. Christ is the chief shepherd, I am his assistant shepherd. That should not go without saying! We all know that, but I don’t know that we live in it. What difference does it make? Keeping in mind my role and submission to Christ will guard me from an extreme ‘corporate’ model of leadership – this is a business, I’m a CEO. Christ must guide me on how He wants His team led.

Beyond that thought, I may actually be serving as a ‘second chair’ leader. In both situations I have been working with a lead or executive pastor to shepherd the team. It’s important to not stray into their responsibility and authority with this team. More on that in another post.

2. Get my leader’s read on each team member

If I am the only leader over the team, I certainly pray and ask Christ’s input on each member. If I’m serving a leader, I want their thoughts on the team. I am asking him or her these questions on each team member:

- What is their role on the team? Are they where they should be? If not, what seat on the bus?
- What are their strengths? Why are they valuable to the team?
- How do they fit the team? How do they interact with the other members?
- How should I lead them? How can I encourage them to give their best?

3. Communicate my identity and vision

The team may or may not know me. I want them to hear my heart, see my vision, know my journey as quickly as possible. I don’t want to be a mystery, with my team scrambling in “meetings after the meeting” to figure me out. Leadership should be clear in its communication. Even if I’m still learning the direction for this ministry, my personal trajectory can be explained immediately.

4. Listen to and learn each team member

I am always interested in my team members – aren’t you? They are the content and personality of my ministry. There are valuable members of Christ’s body, and have a unique offering that no one else has. I want to spend time interviewing each member as quickly as possible to find out THEIR take on the questions I asked my leader about them (see above). What’s in their heart? What’s their vision for their area? What are their dreams and skills?

5. Don’t make changes till I understand my team

I disagree with the practice of some pastors/committees, which asks the new leader to handle the “problem children” on the staff. You’re the last one onto the island – you get to push the weak ones off the island! It goes like this: “We’ve been wanting to make a change in children’s ministry. The staff person there needs to go, and we think it best if you do it. The staff is changing with you coming on anyway, so we might as well make all the changes needed.”

That may sound good – for them! My question: if this staff member was a problem already, why wait for me to be the hatchet man?! I would question the wisdom of this. First, it hurts my leadership immediately to have this type of reputation. Second, maybe my leader or the committee has misread the team member – or has not led them properly. I don’t have a messiah complex, but maybe I could watch them over two – three months and see if they need retraining or redirecting. Don’t get me wrong – if someone needs to go, no one – including the team member – is being served by coddling him or her. But I need to KNOW that is the right step.

Bottom line? Rehoboam messed up. When inheriting his father’s kingdom, he followed poor advice from green advisors. He didn’t really understand where his flock was coming from, so he didn’t know where they needed to go. When I step into a new leadership role I need to know where my team is coming from before I decide where they need to go.

[1 kings 12, 1 peter 5]