Leading from the Second Chair (Book Review)

Leading from the Second Chair is for you if you are staff person who is not the senior pastor of your church or executive director of your organization.  Whether you are an associate pastor in a dual-pastor staff or one among twenty pastors at a mega-church, this book is for you.

However, Leading from the Second Chair is also a book for you if you are a lead or senior pastor in your church. While the book is aimed primarily at second chair leaders, each part has a specific section intended to equip first chair leaders with better understanding of and tools to work with their second chair leaders.

Leading from the Second Chair is a practical book about leading when you find yourself not in the “first chair,” or primary leader, role, but in a “second chair,” or subordinate leader, role. The second chair leader faces a different approach and context for leadership than the first chair leader.  I know this because I’ve experienced this different perspective on leadership, both as a lower level pastor in a mega-church for five years and as a senior level Associate Pastor in my current role.

The authors of this book, Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson, have both served in second chair roles at various times and together in the same organization. Because of this, they are writing out of a wealth of experience and shared reflection on this role that is incredibly valuable. They are not first chair leaders telling second chair leaders what they should do, but seasoned second chair leaders who recognize how this role is different from that of the senior leader and speak out of that place.

Bonem and Patterson define a second chair leader as “a person in a subordinate role whose influence with others adds value throughout the organization” (13). As the book progresses, they dig into three paradoxes of second chair leadership. If you have served in a second chair role in an organization, you will immediately recognize what they are talking about:

1. The subordinate-leader paradox: the tension of not being at the top yet still being a leader
2. The deep-wide paradox: the tension of having a deep and specific role but needing a broad, organization-wide perspective
3. The contentment-dreaming paradox: the tension of being content within your role while meshing your dreams with the organization’s vision

The authors rightly point out how each paradox is tied to a specific area of our life and leadership. The subordinate-leader paradox relates to how you manage your relationships. The second chair leader needs to understand the existence of a line between their role and authority and that of the senior leader. Living with that line necessitates flexibility, trust, and caution in knowing when to cross that line.

The deep-wide paradox relates to how you manage your work habits. This means that the second chair leader needs to do their specific job with excellence without living in a silo, but keeping an eye to the broader organizational goals and needs. Within this discussion Bonem and Patterson provide a helpful look at the “perfect job description for second chair leaders” built on support for the first chair leader and identifying the needs of the organization (82).

The contentment-dreaming paradox relates to how you manage your emotions. The second chair leader must choose the contentment “to stay and grow and excel, for a season, regardless of current circumstances” (124). At the same time, the second chair leader must cultivate personal dreams while meshing those into the vision and goals of the organization.

Through Second Chair Leadership, Bonem and Patterson provide a helpful framework for understanding and living within the role of a second chair leader.  They offer a variety of real-life stories from real-life second chair leaders to flesh out the three paradoxes of second chair leadership. The honestly address key issues that plague any second chair leader: how to do your specific role well while keeping broad-scope, knowing when to bite your tongue and simply support your first chair leader, knowing when to leave the second chair, and more.

While there is much more that could be said about this book, I would highly recommend that you read it yourself. If you are a second chair leader, read it to grow in your role. If you are a first chair leader, read it to maximize your relationship and teamwork with your second chair leaders. If you have been a second chair leader for many years, you may find that some of their insights are things you have learned on your own through experience. All the same, Bonem and Patterson’s way of clarifying the role and goal of the second chair leader is extremely helpful.