Just finished reading a great book by Mike Bonem & Roger Patterson called “Leading From The Second Chair.” This should be required for anyone serving on a church staff, even lead pastors. Here are a few take-aways:

1. The definition of a second-chair leader is “a person in a subordinate role whose influence with others adds value throughout the organization.”

2. Second-chair leaders must live inside of three paradoxes: the subordinate-leader, deep-wide, and contentment-dreaming.

3. “Many who aspire to leadership fail because they have never learned to follow.” – Oswald Chambers

4. The second-chair leader must learn to be subordinate first, building a relationship trust with the first-chair, and work successfully around the defined line of authority.

5. The deep-wide paradox describes the ability to see the big picture or see the overall vision of the organization while simultaneously dealing with the details of specific areas.

6. This paradox (deep-wide) can best be navigated by working with integrated systems as opposed to loosely connected “silos.”

7. Putting the deep-wide paradox into practice requires the following actions: Be a pulse taker, be a vision amplifier, be a leader multiplier, and be a gap filler.

8. Contentment in the second chair is your choice to stay and grow and excel, for a season, regardless of current circumstances.

9. Contentment in the second chair is less like a sleeping baby and more like a mountain climber on the side of a peak.

10. The most important part of dreaming is the stewardship of the dream. It is done in four parts: Be careful what you say and to whom you say it, check your ego at the door, practice both now and later, trust God in the details.