Mike 
I’ve often written to encourage and equip “second chair leaders,” but today I want to focus on the people that the second chairs work for – the people sitting in the first chair. In my coaching with first chairs, second chairs, and leadership teams, one recurring theme is under-utilization of second chairs. Simply stated, they’re not leading.
Let me start by stating the obvious. If you’re the senior pastor of a church or the executive director of a ministry or the head of a denominational body (or in any other first chair role), you can’t do it all. If you are the primary source of energy and ideas and direction, then the organization cannot reach its full potential and you are guaranteed to be exhausted. Jim Collins refers to this failed model of leadership as “a genius with a thousand helpers” (Good to Great).
You need capable second chair leaders to shoulder the leadership load. So if you recognize this need, why is under-utilization such a common problem? See if any of these four factors ring true for your leadership:
- Reluctance to delegate. The most obvious issue is the first chair leader who holds too tightly to the leadership reins, releasing authority to second chairs only when absolutely necessary. This may be expressed as “I can do it better (or quicker) myself” or “They’re not quite ready for this responsibility.” While either statement may be true, the end result is that the first chair becomes the bottleneck limiting organizational progress.
- Excluded from decisions. If you want to get the most out of second chair leaders, give them a seat at the decision-making tables (executive team, elders, etc). Two important things happen when they’re included. First, you get the benefit of their perspective, which can lead to better decisions. Second, they have a better understanding of the “why” behind decisions, which can lead to better alignment and implementation.
- Unclear direction. When organizational priorities are unclear, second chairs are forced to lead with one hand (or both) tied behind their backs. If your second chair leaders frequently ask, “What do you mean by ___?” or “Is this what you had in mind?,” the broad organizational direction may be unclear. Likewise, if you’re constantly frustrated that they are leading in ways that you didn’t intend, don’t assume that they’ve gone rogue. A lack of clarity may be the root of the problem.
- Resistant to feedback. How often do you receive meaningful feedback from your second chair leaders about areas where you frustrate them? An answer of “rarely” or “never” is not an automatic affirmation of great leadership. It may be that you’ve created an environment where feedback is unwelcome. It’s not enough to say, “I value your feedback.” If past critiques have been met with defensive reactions (or worse, some type of retribution), then don’t expect to hear much.
