1. Leading from the second chair

3. Biblical second chair leaders
What role does this second chair leader play?
What was their relationship like with their first chair leader?
What qualities, characteristics, competencies does the second chair leader have?

4. The three paradoxes of second chair leadership
Subordinate-Leader (relationship)
Deep-wide (work habits)
Contentment-Dreaming (emotion)
Subordinate-Leader (relationship): both subordinate to others as well as a leader in your area.
Deep-wide (work habits): Your role is narrower and deeper than a first chair leader, and at the same time, you have to have broad organizational perspective
Contentment-Dreaming (emotion): You are expected to be content within the confines of the role you have, and yet you have dreams for yourself and perhaps the congregation. Dreams you might not feel you have the authority to pursue.

5. Questions for small group discussion
Which Biblical second chair leader do you identify with and why?
Which of the paradoxes do you experience in your role and what is that like for you?
What is the genius of the “and” in the paradoxes?

6. Session 2: Authority, influence and leadership from the second chair

7. In exchange for a service
Authority
In exchange for a service
We'll give you power
Formal? Or informal?

8. Pondering… What authority do I have? Formal and informal?
What does my leadership look like?
How do I ‘manage up?’

9. Questions for small group discussion
What informal authority do you have and how can you develop more?
Can you think of a time you had to use influence skills to get something done, or fix something? Share with the group.

10. Session 3: Adaptive leadership and the second chair

11. The practice of mobilizing people to tackle tough challenges and thrive.
What is adaptive leadership?

12. Adaptive challenges vs. technical problems
Unknown solutions
No experts to solve
Requires changes in habit, lifestyle, values
Includes loss
Is risky
Disrupts status quo
Technical Problems
Known solutions
Call an expert
No changes in habit, lifestyle or values
Not inherently risky
Maintains status quo

13. “Our work begins with the assumption that there is no reason to exercise leadership, to have a courageous conversation with a boss or a spouse for example, or to take a risk on a new idea, unless you care about something deeply. What outcome would make the effort and the risk worthwhile? What purpose would sustain you to stay in the game when it gets rough?” ~Ron Heifetz

14. What is your purpose?

15. Your purpose…
Think of people you know who seem most conscious of their higher purposes and most true to them in their day-to-day behaviors and choices. What is it about these people that makes them so aware of and so true to their purposes? What effect do they have on you? What impact do they have on others?
Write one sentence expressing your overriding sense of purpose. What have you been put on this earth to do? What brings you inexpressible joy or a sense of meaning? Keep rewriting the sentence until it connects with you below the neck.
Think of an intervention that you’re leading to help your context address a particular adaptive challenge. Write a sentence that expresses the purpose that’s driving you to take on leadership.

16. How can you lead adaptive change from the second chair?
YES, AND…

17. Some adaptive leadership practices
Balcony and dancefloor
Observe, Interpret, Intervene
Experiment
Productive zone of disequilibrium

18. Balcony and dancefloor

19. Interpret
Intervene
Observe
Balcony
Dancefloor

20. Experiment!

22. Questions for small group discussion
What adaptive leadership practices can you make use of to increase your ability to lead from the second chair?
What action/commitment are you taking away from this retreat?