Ensuring a successful successor

“What can I do for you now?”

We expect to hear these words from a waitress or a customer service rep. They are a polite offer of service to those who deserve it or have paid for it. We don’t expect to hear them uttered by someone relinquishing their job to another, but that’s exactly what happened when Josh McCown of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hurt his thumb and handed over his starting quarterback job to Mike Glennon.

McCown, a 35-year-old NFL veteran, was named the Bucs’ starter prior to the regular season over Glennon, who is in his second season as a pro. But during Tampa Bay’s game at Atlanta on Sept. 18, a 56-14 loss, McCown injured his hand and lost his job to Glennon, at least temporarily but possibly for the rest of the season. This happens all the time in the NFL. What doesn’t happen as often, at least not publicly, is an immediate and clear show of support by the displaced player.

Most people, in any position, do not think of their successor. Most of us have a hard time even thinking of the larger organization we are part of, whether it be professional or ministerial. But McCown showed a different mindset.

In his new book, Next: Pastoral Succession That Works, William Vanderbloemen points out that all pastors are interim pastors—someone preceded them and someone will succeed them—and they should serve and plan as such. The same applies to all of us in whatever we do, but we struggle to think beyond our present reality and what we see as good for ourselves. When it comes to work and ministry we often fail to think about the future, about setting others up to succeed. We will take out a life insurance policy and write a will to ensure the long-term care of our families, but our inclination toward our organization is to think, “That’s their problem,” when we depart.

“Team player” is a clichéd and tired phrase, but that’s because it has so much meaning it has been grossly over used. Josh McCown exhibited what it means to be a team player. He lost an opportunity and immediately sought to help the one who gained it, to benefit that individual and help the team succeed. That takes humility and a clear perspective of one’s place in life. It is more than mere kindness; it’s intentionally seeking the good of others for the benefit of many. If the mission of the team, whatever our team is, is important enough to us, we will do the same.

“What can I do for you now?” is a question that says you care about others, about the future, and you know it’s their time, not yours. It looks ahead and seeks to do something concrete to create a smoother road for them as they pursue the mission you were on together. Imagine what it would be like in your workplace, or in your church, if that question defined us instead of thinking only of ourselves.