Invest: Pouring Into Emerging Leaders (Part 3)

Now that you’ve identified and invited potential candidates to engage and develop their leadership, your next step is to intentionally invest in them. It’s time to make the dream a reality.

Here are some ideas:

First, invest individually as a mentor and/or discipler. 

Research indicates that fewer than 50% of group members are being actively discipled. Imagine the potential for spiritual growth and development that could occur if you poured your life into a few people! If you are leading a group, take the extra time to personally disciple potential leaders. And if you’re leading a ministry, spend consistent time, perhaps even weekly, with those you’ve identified with greater leadership potential, helping them develop spiritual habits and provide a safe place for them to practice disciple-making behaviors.

Second, invite potential leaders with you to a Life Group Leader’s meeting.

Doing so will help these future leaders learn what group leadership entails and give them a head start on cultivating the necessary skills they’ll need to lead an effective group.

Here are a few places to start:

1. Encourage your potential leaders to sign up for these blog posts!

2. Invite them to watch 3 Patters of a Healthy Small Group on Right Now Media.

3. Invite them to our next Life Group Leader meeting on May 2nd, 2021.

Third, draw potential leaders into leadership functions in your existing groups. 

Consider what new leaders can take on, then give it to them, and coach along the way. The five steps laid out by Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird in Hero Maker offer a fantastic guide to help what they call an “apprentice leader” progress from shadowing you to helping to owning more and more leadership in the group:

1. I do. You watch. We talk. Apprentice leaders pay attention to how the leader leads, then they get together to debrief. What worked? What didn’t? How can group meetings get better?

2. I do. You help. We talk. The apprentice leads particular tasks, such as prayer time or an icebreaker, then debriefs with the leader. The leader can ask the same kinds of questions as before, but also ask how the apprentice felt taking that step of leadership.

3. You do. I help. We talk. At this point, the apprentice’s portion of leadership crosses the 50% threshold, and he or she takes on more than the initial leader. Since the apprentice has seen it done many times before, he’s ready for the additional leadership. Once again, the apprentice and leader debrief and talk about where the apprentice excelled and how he or she can continually improve.

4. You do. I watch. We talk. The temptation here for the original leader is to take off and leave the group in the hands of the new leader. Resist that urge. The apprentice leads, the mentor observes and coaches. Then, they talk about whether the apprentice wants to take over the current group or start a new one, and what the original leader will now do.

5. You do. Someone else watches. The process of leadership development comes full circle.

The apprentice now seeks an apprentice for themselves, and the process repeats itself. The mentor continues to coach and support and raises up additional apprentices. This process begins to unleash the exponential nature of leadership investment.

Finally, laser focus your biggest commodity, TIME.

Your biggest leadership impact is choosing a few individuals from within your group and spending more time with them outside your group gatherings with the sole intent of helping them recognize their leadership. Don’t overthink this but think about how to best utilize your time. Here are three quick suggestions

1. Invest in a weekly gathering. Focus this time on helping your leaders develop their spiritual habits of word intake, prayer intake, being on mission with neighbors, and strategic conversations about genuine evangelism

2. Invest in a daily interaction. Figure out the best ways to daily connect with your leaders. If you miss a day, no worries. Just keep texting, calling, emailing, and finding ways to interact with your leaders.

3. Invest in moment-by-moment prayer. Whenever and however you do this, praying consistently for your leaders is more powerful than you think.

That’s it. IDENTIFY. INVITE. INVEST. These are the three “I’s” for raising up new leaders.

A few final tips. This is a process that can and should be replicated many times over. Often, placing tentative deadlines on your calendar for moving forward with each of these steps will provide the necessary accountability to get started. So, go ahead, identify, invite, and begin investing in potential leaders—and you will continue to expand and sustain the influence you have as a leader.

Identify, Then Invite: Giving Potential Leaders Opportunity (Part 2)

Ok! You’ve identified a potential new Life Group leader and gotten excited about moving forward with them on board. Now what?

There is great power in being asked. This is what Jesus did with the disciples—and it’s what you can do with others. Certainly, there’s an art to inviting potential group leaders into more engagement, but don’t overthink the obvious: just extending an invitation makes a profound impact. Chances are good you have a number of potential group leaders waiting to be invited or who would be honored to be invited into more leadership in this season.

Here are several ideas about how to invite potential leaders to join you in leading groups:

First, affirm specific giftings you see in others.

The process of raising up a new leader is often begun simply by edifying (or uplifting) them. Consider having lunch or coffee with them to have an ICNU conversation. ICNU means “I see in you.” It’s a call out for leadership. It says, "I see in you things like:"

• A gift of listening to people and truly caring.

• The ability to encourage people no matter where they are at in their journey.

• Leadership qualities that may be ready to share.

There’s something special about being called out and told what someone sees in you—especially when it is positive. Take the time and energy to affirm others’ giftings and strengths BEFORE you invite them to lead.

What do you see in the people around you?

Second, invite potential leaders to try out leadership.

In almost every existing Life Group, there’s someone just waiting for an invitation to step forward. Ask that person to lead a part of your gathering in advance. Ask them to lead prayer on a Zoom call, facilitate a sermon discussion, or help to coordinate a fellowship gathering. Help them understand that leadership isn’t a title, but an action. Then, allow them room for error and growth as they test their wings. Giving potential leaders bite-size portions of leadership both encourages and equips them for more leadership in the future.

Third, invite potential leaders to help you develop a plan.

Involving others in clarifying the direction of your Life Group can reap huge rewards, as it creates buy-in and ownership. Ask the potential leader to chime in on what your group needs. Inviting people to speak into the direction and approach of your Life Group is a great way for them to engage and step further into leadership.

Fourth, recognize your limitations, and invite potential leaders to help you overcome them.

Asking for help is a great leadership trait. Communicating your limitations creates space for potential leaders to step into that gap. As a result, your Life Group will be better off, and you’ll feel less pressure to succeed even in your weak spots.

Potential leaders have fresh eyes to see what is working and what is missing. Engage some casual conversation with current members who have leadership potential about what your groups ministry is doing well and what needs change or innovation. Current leaders may not see these things as clearly, but current members who are potential leaders can identify gaps and then may be more willing to step into them. They can immediately contribute and expand the breadth and/or depth of your ministry through the recognition of the your limitations.

you want leadership for THEM, not just from them.

Finally, ensure that you want leadership for your new leader, and not just from them. 

No matter what strategies you use to invite new people into leadership, make sure your heart is in the right place. Recruiting and raising up new leaders isn’t about you or reducing your workload.

Instead, it’s about recognizing and equipping potential leaders to step further into their unique callings, expand their influence, and be used to further God’s kingdom. In short, you want leadership for them, not just from them.

Once you have invited individuals to step into more leadership, your next move is to invest in those who respond to your invitation to leadership.

So what do you think?

Do you agree or disagree with this approach? How have you invited people to take the next step in their leadership? What has worked for you? Comment below!

Our next and final article in this 3-article series will expand on the final step of the process: Invest.