14 Apr Successive Leadership – Nurturing Continuity of Vision and Values

Who is a leader? Is leadership defined by position or by influence? While many may argue that it’s the latter, we cannot ignore the importance of the former in the world and in any organization. As Simon Sinek says, “You are not a leader if you have no followers,” so let us use this simple definition as our foundation.

Why do we need a leader? If we observe closely, the world is not flat but operates more like a pyramid, where someone takes charge. Take a common situation, for instance, at the supermarket billing counter: if someone breaks the queue, we expect someone to speak up. Either we become that voice, or someone else does, and others follow suit. If no one steps in, people will stand by, grumbling, and if the situation persists, they might avoid that store altogether. The store could lose customers simply because the store manager or staff failed to act. This shows that for any organization to thrive, leadership — whether appointed or emerging spontaneously — is necessary.

Now, who comes after the leader? The journey of succession is not easy. History is filled with tales of deceit and bloodshed. In the Bible, especially in the reign of the kings of Israel, we often read about conspiracy, revolt, and coups, which were followed by counter-coups. Ultimately, the lack of proper succession led to the suffering of the kingdom or total collapse of the kingdom and its people going in to exile.

Why is succession planning essential? Even the greatest leader cannot live forever, nor can their values and dreams. For sustainability and progress, a new leader is required once the current one leaves — whether physically or from their position. As someone wisely said, “If you fail to plan for success, you are planning for failure.”

Global leaders agree that the greatest crisis of our time is not climate change, food shortages, or dwindling natural resources, but rather a crisis of leadership. Without proper succession planning, we risk falling into anarchy and destruction — not through nuclear catastrophe, but through a vacuum of leadership.

So, why is succession planning often neglected? Human nature leans toward selfishness, with many people focusing only on their time in leadership, often ignoring what comes after. Succession planning is difficult and requires intentional effort. However, the Bible provides a clear example of God’s deliberate involvement in succession through the story of Moses and Joshua. From the beginning, God had a plan for Moses’ leadership and its continuation through Joshua. Moses was divinely chosen, trained in Egypt, and guided by God to lead the Israelites through extraordinary miracles. Yet, even someone as extraordinary as Moses was not meant to lead forever — God had already prepared Joshua to succeed him.

In conclusion, for any leader, the process of succession is critical to the continued success and sustainability of their work. As 2 Tim 2:2 instructs, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” This verse offers a timeless principle for leadership succession: the intentional passing on of wisdom, values, and skills to not just one successor but to multiple generations of leaders. This multilayered succession ensures that the vision and mission of the organization or community continue to thrive long after the original leader is gone.

Paul’s instruction to Timothy underscores the importance of not only training one successor but of creating a system where leadership is multiplied across several layers. Timothy is told to train others who, in turn, will train others, creating a chain of leadership that is sustainable across generations. This proactive, strategic approach is critical for avoiding the leadership vacuum that could lead to chaos or the collapse of the organization.

Rajesh E Jesudasan, started his EU journey as a post matric student since 1998 from Nagpur and then was associated with Madurai EU during his PG and UESI-MH during research studies at IIT Bombay. Now he is a senior advisor to Jorhat ICEU and they are serving as a family, with his wife Manisha and 3 kids Jaishu, Dhuyaa & Yeshur.