The church at Antioch had a deep bench. Acts names five prophets and teachers there.
While they were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul.” Those were the two strongest leaders in the room.
The church fasted, prayed, laid hands on them, and sent them off. Antioch gave away its best people, and what followed was the spread of the gospel across the Roman world.
The idea. Sharing leadership is the fifth step of the LEADS Path. Most organizations measure a leader by who stays. Retention matters, and retention can also hide hoarding. A leader who develops people will lose some of them to bigger work. That loss is the product, not a failure. Measure a leader by who was sent.
The action for this week. Name the most capable person on your team. Ask that person, “What do you want to be doing in three years?” Then ask yourself what you would need to teach, and whether you are holding that person in place because doing so is convenient for you.
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”Acts 13:2, ESV
Jake
P.S. Moses faced the same moment with Joshua. Read The handoff.