I once heard someone state that “successful leaders are those who have successors.” As I mature in leadership, this truth becomes more and more evident to me. Over the years, I have seen strong organizations fall apart when their leader passed away or retired from service. On the other hand, there have been companies, non-profits, and churches that not only survived the loss of their top leader, but actually accelerated their growth when a second generation of leader assumed the helm. The secret to raising up a new generation of leaders can be stated in one single word – mentoring.
A New Generation
Mentors help develop a whole next generation of effective leaders. The process of mentoring can ensure the survival and even growth of our leadership beyond our time. For the Biblical leader, mentoring others means having a multigenerational impact for God.
You Can Do It
Everyone can be a mentor, but there are six characteristics of good mentors that you will have to develop if you want to help younger leaders succeed.
Ability to see potential. Foresight is rare, even in the best leaders. Young leaders have a lot to learn and grow into. The best mentors see people not for what they are, but for what they could become.
Tolerance with mistakes. Good mentors help their mentees learn without having to make the same mistakes they made. This doesn’t mean they won’t make brand new ones. The process of trial and error begins with errors and failures. Good mentors are patient to navigate through mistakes until mentees succeed.
Flexibility in responding to people and circumstances. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions in leadership. The best mentors adapt to their mentee’s needs and circumstances.
Patience. Successful mentoring is a long-term process. Good mentors know how to wait. Those who do will see the fruits of their labor.
Perspective. Good mentors have the ability to envision a better future for their mentees and make helpful suggestions.
Encouraging skills. Mentoring is essentially building up and encouraging others. The best mentors are encouragers. Some are natural, while, for others, it will be a developed skill.
Are you that kind of mentor? If not yet, which of these six characteristics do you need to work on, so you can effectively mentor a new generation of leaders? If you do so, they will stand on your shoulders and continue your legacy.
The next generation of leaders who will write history for the Kingdom of God are already living among us. They may be teenagers or adults younger than you. Some may not even be believers yet, while others are walking with Christ or even beginning to lead. You have the potential to influence and the responsibility to develop the next generation of leaders, who will reach a new generation of lost people for Christ
The results are in, and we have so many amazing ways to share with you how God has used the entire ILI Global family including all the leaders and alumni to make an impact on the spread of the Gospel in 2022.