Even great teams eventually come to an end. This is happening right now here in Tennessee.
Across Tennessee state government, executive leadership teams are preparing for a transition. After this fall’s gubernatorial election, many agencies will welcome entirely new leadership teams.
It’s a unique season, but it’s not unique to government. Every organization eventually experiences the same thing: CEOs retire, organizations merge, leaders move on.
Every leadership team is temporary. Someday, the organization you inherited will become someone else’s responsibility.
The question isn’t whether your team will someday end. The question is what condition you’ll leave the organization in when it does.
The greatest temptation during a known transition is to begin leading for yourself instead of leading for the organization.
It’s natural and completely human. We become more protective. We postpone. We begin thinking about what’s next.
Without even realizing it:
- Tough decisions get postponed for the next team.
- Investing in future leaders becomes less urgent.
- Stewardship slowly gives way to self-preservation.
Without intending to, we stop investing in the people and the organization we’ll eventually leave behind.
Great leaders don’t serve because they’ll be here. They serve because the organization will be here.
Before your team hands the organization to the next leadership team, ask yourselves these six questions:
- What conversations need to happen before the team disbands?
- Who in the organization do we need to invest in?
- Where is grace needed so that the organization doesn’t let the past run the future?
- What decisions are we putting off just because it’s easier, when the organization needs clarity now?
- Who needs our encouragement and praise?
- How could we infuse belief and confidence into others that carries into the next team?
Your legacy isn’t what you accomplish before leaving. It’s the condition of the people and the organization you leave behind. Leave the next leadership team a legacy they can build on.
