WILLOW Magazine, Volume 15, Issue 1 Who's Really In Charge? by Timm Boyle How to survive — and thrive — when leading from the second chair Here’s the truth about us: We all answer to someone — a child to a parent, a teacher to the principal, a CEO to the board, a president to the Congress, a pastor to the elders, and, ultimately, we all answer to God. In that scenario, we’re all in the second chair. Someone bigger than us is always seated in the first chair. In a church setting, second chair does not mean second best, second class, second rate or second fiddle. So, what does it mean? What is the second chair’s job description? How does a second chair leader cope with the tensions that are unique to his or her position? How does a second chair lead while simultaneously deferring to the first chair leader? In their book, Leading from the Second Chair, Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson discuss in great detail the paradoxes that second chair leaders face, while also offering practical helps and encouragement to second chairs and the first chair leaders who want their second chairs to thrive in their roles rather than merely survive. “In our book, we defined a second chair leader as someone in a subordinate role whose influence on others adds value throughout the organization,” said Bonem.“So, with that definition, it’s not just about title, it’s about influence and it’s about relationship. “There are really two different types of second chair leaders that we run into. Some people are second chair leaders and will be that way throughout their career within the organization. There are a number of others — pastors, associate pastors and executive pastors — who are grooming to be first chair leaders some day.” Bonem said that assigning a job description to a second chair leader is pretty much an exercise in futility because it will be irrelevant within six months. “A second chair leader’s job is changing all the time,” Bonem said. “They will usually have a very broad skill set because they are working in a trust-based relationship. They see the needs in the organization, so they act on those needs. In that kind of dynamic, the jobs are always changing.” Joe Stowell, executive pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel, in Rolling Meadows, Ill., believes there are four things that a second chair leader needs to bring to the table. “The first one is loyalty to the organization and to the first chair, and that is a huge piece,” Stowell said. “Secondly, you must be a relationship builder in order to work within the organization. Humility would be my third one. This is the kind of person who likes to work through other people and see them get the credit even if the idea or initiative originated with him. And the fourth thing is the ability to see the larger picture and yet be so involved in the teams that they feel like you’re really their ally and you’re part of what they’re doing.” The first paradox discussed by Bonem and Patterson in their book is how a second chair leader can serve as both a bold initiator and a faithful follower. A second chair is expected to be a leader, but he or she’s also subordinate to someone in the organization, which can create tension. “As my relationship grew with [Willow Creek founding and senior pastor] Bill Hybels, I came to realize that just getting stuff done wasn’t enough,” said Greg Hawkins, Willow Creek’s executive pastor. “I also had to lead. In fact, I had to lead as if Bill did not exist, knowing full well that he does and that I’m subordinate to him, but also realizing that I’ll do my best work as a leader if I’m not dependent on him to bail me out.” Stowell, who reports to senior pastor James MacDonald at Harvest Bible Chapel, said that two major principles in coping with this paradox are communication and understanding your boundaries. “James and I discuss a lot of things behind closed doors, but when we get out there with the team and the church, we’re a united front,” Stowell said. “We have uni-speak. I know the things that I need to run by him and the things that I don’t, and I think that really protects me in the staff setting as he supports me and lets me do my job.” “Leadership grows out of being given authority, and our authority as second chair leaders is conditional,” Bonem said. “It’s totally conditional upon the trust that the first chair gives us. We have to become students of our first chairs. We have to know how to communicate with them at the right time and in the right way.” Bonem said that even though it’s pointless to write up a second chair job description, it is important to understand where the boundary lines are drawn. “As a second chair, you have to learn what you have permission to do with freedom, what you need to check with your first chair about and what you should not be doing at all,” Bonem said. “Crossing the line is what happens when you don’t clarify what the lines are and you go beyond what you are supposed to do. “First chairs need to reach out to their second chairs and create that relational space where trust can grow and where they can really start to get close to each other. First chairs also need to do as much as they can to give their second chairs the freedom to lead as quickly as possible, even though some mistakes will be made.” The second paradox Bonem and Patterson address in Leading from the Second Chair is called the deep-wide paradox. A second chair leader is expected to both see the big (wide) picture and be able to dive down deep into the details of the organization to make things happen. “In order to get a picture of the whole thing and have the whole system in your brain, you need to know a little bit about everything that goes on in the organization,” Hawkins said. “But to truly be effective, you need to be able to go deep at times and to intervene and untangle a mess and bring critical thinking to bear at a very detailed level to solve problems. So, you need to be wide and deep. But don’t stay in either place too long.” Stowell said he believes this issue is one of the most challenging aspects of being a second chair. “You don’t have the luxury of being either or,” Stowell said. “I’m probably a better wide guy than I am a deep guy, so I’m honest with myself about that and I look for deep guys to run teams.” Bonem said that it is typical for a second chair leader to be stronger in one area than in the other. “Most of us are wired one way or the other, so this paradox really stretches us to go beyond what we are naturally best at and be able to do both and again be able to complement that by surrounding ourselves with people who can help out,” Bonem said. Communication between the first and second chairs is a key component to balancing the wide with the deep. “There have been times where I have had to go deep and fill in a gap or be more involved in a ministry than I normally would, and it’s important that I communicate that to James and the elders,” Stowell said. “I’ll say, ‘I may not be as wide as you guys want me to be for the next two or three months because I am going deep into children’s ministry,’ and then they have the freedom to say, ‘We understand that you need to do that and we empower you to do it and come back to us soon.’” Hawkins said there are some auxiliary benefits to going deep. “Often you don’t feel like you have the time to go deep and intervene for an intensive season of three to six months, but the experience serves you well because now you know a piece of the organization much better than you did before and you’ve developed some deep relationships throughout the organization with both staff and volunteers.” There are some ways in which a first chair leader can help a second chair overcome this paradox. “If it’s an up-and-coming second chair leader, the first chair should bring them into the key meetings to help them see the big picture,” Bonem said. “To see how an action of this one ministry area really ripples throughout the whole church is invaluable. “If it’s an experienced second chair, the first chair needs to create an environment that is stimulating and challenging for them and works with their gifts. Many second chairs thrive on that variety. They don’t want that static same thing day in and day out.” The third paradox discussed by Bonem and Patterson in their book is the contentment-dreaming paradox. Second chair leaders all have dreams, but they are required to hitch their wagons to the dreams of the first chairs. Avoiding frustration in that process and finding contentment can be a major challenge. “I would describe contentment-dreaming as an exercise in patience and trusting God,” Stowell said. “In the second chair, my vision is subordinate to James’ vision and I need to be about his program big time. When I surrender my dreams and visions to God and trust Him, sometimes it surprises me because it comes back and all of a sudden we are getting after that and I’m energized by it.” Hawkins said that this area can be a struggle for him. “Sometimes I wonder, do I bring my dreams to the table this time or do I just facilitate everybody else’s thing?” Hawkins said. “I need to bring my voice into the circle more, but then I need to trust the community and let it be a container for my dreams. “I’ve learned to be patient about this. God is bigger than all of us and whatever He wants to get done, as long as we submit to it, we are going to be fine. So, you need to show up with what you want, but be humble enough to let go of it if you need to.” Stowell said that sometimes it’s difficult to separate his dreams from himself and his own significance. “When I get focused on myself and my significance, that’s when it breaks down and I have to turn my attention back to what God asks me to do,” Stowell said. “My ultimate significance and contentment is found in pleasing Him and knowing that I have fulfilled that calling that He has put before me.” Bonem compares this paradox to the great artists of several centuries ago using other artists to work with them. “Rembrandt would sketch out a painting and say, ‘This is the concept,’ but then others would come in and actually do a lot of the painting,” Bonem said. “Most of us in the second chair, assuming we have a good relationship with our first chair and assuming we agree on the big picture of the vision, have all sorts of room to paint within the lines. “That’s how second chairs can really see their dreams lived out in the first chair environment. Now, if my dream is diametrically opposed to the dream of the first chair, then it’s not going to fit. Most of the time, though, there is a lot of room to paint within the lines and even ultimately to reshape or to shape the implementation of that first chair’s dream.” As with the other paradoxes, the first chair can be a huge help to the second chair in trying to cope with making his dreams subservient to those of the first chair. “The first thing is that the first chair has to be clear about articulating his vision,” Bonem said. “If I don’t know what the vision is, it’s much harder for me to do my part of it. The second thing is for the first chairs to listen to the second chairs and learn what it is that energizes and excites them, then give their second chairs freedom to make it happen.” Dig deeper Be sure to check out the Defining Moments edition “Leading from the Second Chair.” Order the CD or download the MP3 file on willowcreek.com. Top