Identification, Selection, and Orientation
of New Leaders

Finding new leaders for an MBA Fellowship is one of the two most important tasks for a leadership team. (The other is new student recruitment in the first three weeks of the year.) Intentionality in recruiting new leaders is vital for the ongoing flourishing of the fellowship. The below are a few recommendations based on larger fellowships, but with relevant ideas for all sizes of schools. 

 

Identification of New Leaders

• Starts at the beginning of the fall term.  While invitations to consider leadership probably get discussed later, it's good to be watching for folks with spiritual gifts and experience that fit with leading a fellowship.

• Leadership Pipeline: Some fellowships appoint first year students as VP's or Directors over certain areas in formal position; other fellowships make one-off asks of 1st years to help with specific events or projects.

• Some fellowships also invite 1st years to propose whatever new initiatives they would like to pursue and then get behind them with support.  

• Eventually, creating a written list of potential new leaders is advisable for tracking and assigning follow up conversations by current leaders.  

• Don't exclude 1st years who have not attended many events in the fall: sometimes some of the best fellowship leaders were not that committed at first.  

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Selection of New Leaders

• Depending upon the size of the fellowship, you might consider including an application and informal interview/check-in.  

• Pick leaders based not only on professional leadership ability, but also on their spiritual maturity.  

• Don't just pick the best individual candidates; pick the best team.  A new team of all visionaries and no one who can handle details will soon flop!   Diversity on the team (gender, ethnicity/culture, industry, social circles) can help a lot with attracting new members from different circles.  

• See the list attached of characteristics of who Jesus sought as his disciples.

• Consider the selection process not only for screening candidates, but also for setting up the next team for success.  This is a ripe opportunity to communicate expectations.  Setting a higher bar, rather than giving the impression that we're desperate, is best.  

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Orientation of New Leaders

• Some sort of hand off of materials and relationships early on is vital.

• Having at least 2-3 months in the spring for gelling their team and receiving coaching from you is very important.  So count back from graduation by three months, and that's when you should hand off the reins.  A month before that is when the selection process should be underway.  

• Encourage the new team to have a retreat to help them bond as a team, plus come to a shared vision.  Getting off campus overnight is great for this.   Consider doing a 'commissioning' service for the new team.  This helps people understand that the roles they are taking on really do matter in the Kingdom.  

• Encourage the new team to start praying for each other, for the team, for the fellowship, and for the school.  Include prayer times during leadership meetings.

• The new team, perhaps on the retreat, should talk about team expectations.  An excellent model for effective teams is Patrick Lencioni's 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, attached.  Dealing with conflict in a healthy way is an important discussion early on.  

• Finally, as exiting leaders, don't abandon ship!  Keep attending, and keep asking the new leaders how you can be most helpful.

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Leaders Retreat Sample Outline

2 major goals: team-building and shared vision-casting

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Friday: team-building

• Sharing our personal stories

• 5 Dysfunctions of a Team & Discussion of Team Expectations (participation, communication response rate, etc.)

• Creating a team profile to know how we can operate together: (a big chart/grid that is saved for everyone's future reference)

  • MBTI

  • Enneagram

  • Decision-making Styles

  • Conflict Styles 

  • Spiritual Gifts

  • Love Languages

  • Teamwork pet peeves

  • Personal and professional growth areas that we can help each other with

  • Other appropriate inventories or topics that help the group work well together and clarify expectations

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Saturday: shared vision-casting

• Sharing your individual visions for the year 

• Historical perspective on the club

• SWOT or Appreciative Inquiry Exercise to assess the past/present

• Division of labor and specific expectations of each other

• Setting goals for the spring quarter and developing specific strategies

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