Leading from the Second Chair
Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams
J-B Leadership Network Series
1. Edition September 2005
208 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
LEADING FROM THE SECOND CHAIR will raise awareness of the need for
strong leaders in secondary positions. It will describe the value
they can bring to their organization and to primary leaders when
they are serving at their full potential. It will reshape the way
they view their role, with an emphasis on their own responsibility
as leaders. It recognizes the unique challenges and frustrations of
serving in a subordinate position and equips these leaders with the
attitudes and skills that they will need to survive and thrive in
this new paradigm.
Because of the scarcity of resources for second chair leaders,
particularly those in the church, this book will offer a practical
way to improve the performance of any organization. Leading
Congregational Change discussed the importance of a "vision
community"--a diverse group of key members who discern and
implement the vision for a congregation--to guide the
transformation of a church. This work will extend the theme of an
empowered leadership team as we explore how individual clergy and
laity can lead effectively.
Foreword ix
Greg L. Hawkins
Preface xi
1. Living in the Paradoxes 1
2. Am I a Second Chair Leader? 11
The First Paradox Subordinate-Leader
3. Taking It from the Top 27
4. Crossing the Line 43
A Word to First Chairs on the Subordinate-Leader Paradox 61
The Second Paradox Deep-Wide
5. A Matter of Perspective 71
6. Building the Team . . . One Relationship at a Time 83
7. Putting It into Practice 98
A Word to First Chairs on the Deep-Wide Paradox 111
The Third Paradox Contentment-Dreaming
8. Contentment in the Second Chair 121
9. Dreaming in the Second Chair 136
10. Leaving the Second Chair 151
A Word to First Chairs on the Contentment-Dreaming Paradox 164
Epilogue 169
The People Behind the Stories: Profiles of Second Chair Leaders 171
Bibliography 177
Acknowledgments 179
About the Authors 181
Index 183
Patterson take a fresh and rare approach to leadership by
unleashing some invaluable principles and guidelines specific to
healing to the second tier leader. Wherever you are in your
organization, this book is sure to help you appreciate the unique
challenges and valuable contributions of all those who lead from
the second chair."
-- Ed Young, senior pastor, Fellowship Church
"Bonem and Paterson tell the truth about leading from the second
chair. Leaders will be set free to lead to their true potential
because of the practical and profound insights in this book."
-- Dan Reiland, executive pastor, Crossroads Community Church
Find Out How to Lead Effectively--Even When You're Not in
Charge
"Somebody said the hardest instrument to play is second fiddle.
But since Jesus had one or two things to say about serving and
submitting, this is a rich field. Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson
have addressed a key need with wisdom and clarity."
--John Ortberg, author, If You Want to Walk on Water, Get Out
of the Boat; teaching pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
"The mission of an organization either hangs together or falls
apart at the critical interface between first and second chairs.
This helpful volume from seasoned practitioners identifies and
addresses the character, competencies, and chemistry that make for
effective second chair leadership. It's a book for you, no matter
which seat you're in."
--Reggie McNeal, author, The Present Future; director,
Leadership Development, South Carolina Baptist Convention
"The Bible is full of strategic leadership partnerships: Moses
and Aaron, Mordecai and Esther, Paul and Silas, and even the
Trinity. Each one demonstrates individual gifts being cojoined for
maximum ministry effect. Leading from the Second Chair articulates
and celebrates the necessity of God's strategic
partnerships."
--Mike Slaughter and Kim Miller, lead pastor and creative
director, Ginghamsburg Church
"If you are a second chair leader, are considering a second
chair role, or work with a second chair leader, this book is a
must-read! Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson have done a superb job of
defining the living paradoxes a second chair leader deals with day
in and day out. Don't consider a second chair role without reading
this book first."
--Warren Schuh, executive pastor, Calvary Community Church
"Leading from the Second Chair targets the misunderstood and
often unrecognized paradoxes of empowered second chair influence.
Leaders in the twenty-first century church can avoid tragic
pitfalls while leveraging the powerful contribution of second chair
leaders by understanding and engaging the experience-forged
insights in this important book."
--Jared Roth, vice president, International Church of the
Foursquare Gospel
Mike Bonem has been a consultant to churches, judicatories, and businesses for more than twenty years. His company, Kingdom Transformation Partners, offers coaching and leadership development for first and second chair leaders.
Roger Patterson is the associate pastor of West University Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, where he has served for eight years. He is a second chair leader who loves to invest in the development of other leaders for the expansion of God's Kingdom.
