Shadowing: A Powerful Tool for Leadership Development

Do you wish to cultivate leaders within your church staff team? Try something different from the traditional route of books or conferences. Consider something incredibly impactful but often overlooked - leadership shadowing.

In our latest Healthy Church Staff Podcast, we delve into how turning your routine leadership moments into training moments can multiply leadership within your team without inducing burnout.

Leadership is Caught, Not Taught

The most powerful ministry leadership lessons are not always found in classrooms or books but are caught in real-time. By allowing your staff to shadow you, you provide them with first-hand experience of leadership. Simultaneously, they get to grasp your tone, timing, and manner of decision-making, which in turn, enriches their leadership skills.

Watch and Learn: Letting Them In

You being a model for others is imperative. But it's not about presenting a polished image. Instead, the aim is to exhibit how real leadership works. It's about letting your staff see how you balance priorities, handle difficult conversations, and make decisions.

Moreover, leadership shadowing isn't valuable only for staff. Consider involving high-capacity volunteers or those with promising leadership potential. By doing so, you help shape the future leadership of your church.

Incorporating Leadership Shadowing

Despite being a logical approach to leadership development, adopting shadowing can seem daunting initially. The key here is to remember that you don’t need to add extra tasks to your plate. You can establish this culture by:

• Spreading the shadowing experience among different staff members - alternate between individuals every week to keep the process dynamic and not overwhelming.
• Making shadowing a two-way street — learn from your staff by seeking their perspective too. Encourage candid conversation and open feedback.
• Keeping it real — trying not to put on a show or pretend but being your true self. Through this transparency, staff understand the reality and subtleties of leadership.

Leadership shadowing provides the opportunity for the next generation of leaders to dive into the mundane yet meaningful aspects of leadership. While this may take some getting used to initially, it will eventually become a part of your church's culture.

If you wish to multiply your church’s leadership, consider beginning with visibility. Take the lead in creating a community of learning and growth without creating additional stress.

Question: What's a leadership attribute you acquired merely by watching?

For more on this approach to leadership development, tune in to today's Healthy Church Staff Podcast episode.