Lately, I’ve been pondering something that extends far beyond nursing or healthcare…What happens when the people who have been holding certain positions for decades finally step away?
I’m talking about the leaders in our organizations; individuals who faithfully serve in church ministries, volunteers who carry community initiatives, and the professionals whose experience and institutional knowledge are invaluable. Actually, even our patriarchs and matriarchs!
Many of these individuals are part of the baby boomer generation, and let me be clear: I am not suggesting that anyone should be forced to retire, resign, or relinquish a position simply because of their age. Experience is valuable, and continued service deserves respect.
However, I do believe there is an opportunity to close the gap. Because at some point in our journey, our greatest contribution is no longer simply what we accomplish in a position, but who we prepare to serve after us?
A Seat Is Not a Succession Plan
In so many spaces, it’s easy to identify the person we believe should come next. They have potential and enthusiasm. Someone may even tell them, “One day, you will be the one doing this.”
But what is happening between today and one day to prepare them?
Are we sharing what we’ve learned? Are we inviting them into conversations that broaden their understanding? Are we giving them opportunities to practice, while holding space to make mistakes, ask questions, and develop confidence?
Or are we simply assuming they will figure it out when their time comes?
The reality is, one day, whether through retirement, career change, a new calling, or life circumstances, the people currently occupying these spaces must move on. And when they do, the position may be vacant, but that doesn’t mean someone is genuinely prepared to fill it.
We Were Never Meant to Keep It All to Ourselves
Scripture offers a beautiful reminder of the responsibility to invest in others…
In 2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV), Paul instructs Timothy to entrust what he has learned to reliable people who will also be capable of teaching others. The expectation wasn’t simply that Timothy would receive knowledge and become proficient himself. He was also responsible for preparing others who could continue passing it along.
In Titus 2:3–4 (NIV), Paul speaks specifically about older women teaching and guiding younger women. Although the passage addresses a particular setting and population, it is a reminder of the value of wisdom shared across generations.
Then, in Ephesians 4:11–13 (NIV), Paul describes leaders and teachers being given to equip others for service and help them mature.
Outside of Paul being the author of all these passages, there is also a consistent theme:
What we are given is not meant to end with us.
I believe that principle extends into how we serve our families, professions, communities, and ministries. We cannot become so attached to what we do that we forget the value of helping someone else learn to do it, too. After all, our identity is greater than any position we hold.
An Unexpected Conversation
It was my last day of clinical with a group of nursing students this semester. They are aware I am transitioning into a new professional role. At the end of the shift, one student asked whether they will still be able to reach out to me when they have questions or need advice. My response was immediate.
Absolutely!
I then shared an idea that has been marinating in my mind for some time: creating a mentorship cohort to support student nurses. I hadn’t fully developed the idea, but shared it anyway. To my surprise, every student in that clinical group expressed interest.
One student even mentioned that two students I taught from a previous clinical group would probably want to participate as well. That moment stayed with me. It affirmed something I believe we sometimes overlook.
People are hungry for guidance.
They’re eager for someone to share what experience has taught them. Someone who can help them navigate uncertainty, recognize their strengths, and develop the confidence to move forward.
And that hunger isn’t limited to younger generations. It’s present in anyone entering an unfamiliar season, accepting a new responsibility, or preparing to walk a path someone else has already traveled. Sometimes, people aren’t asking us to open a door for them; they’re asking us to help them become ready to walk through it.
Your Experience Is Someone Else’s Opportunity
In Romans 12:6–8 (NIV), Paul reminds us that we have different gifts and encourages us to put them to use. Among those gifts are serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, and leading. These gifts are not dependent upon a job title.
You don’t have to be a director to develop a leader. You don’t have to be a professor to teach someone something valuable. You don’t have to lead a ministry to strengthen another person’s faith. And you certainly don’t have to establish a formal coaching business to make an investment in someone’s future.
Mentorship sometimes looks like an honest conversation over coffee.
It means allowing someone to observe how you handle a difficult situation.
It’s offering encouragement when a person begins questioning whether they belong in a particular space.
And often times, it’s being willing to share lessons you learned the hard way so someone else doesn’t have to repeat every one of your mistakes.
This kind of investment doesn’t always require money. Often, it requires something equally valuable: our time, attention, humility, and willingness to serve. While we may have experience to share, we should remain open to what the next generation can teach us, too.
We are all both teachers and learners throughout our lives.
What Will Remain After You Move On?
I think one of the greatest measures of our influence is not simply what we accomplished while we occupied a position, but what continues to grow because we were there.
Who became more confident because you encouraged them?
Who discovered a gift because you recognized it before they did?
Who was better prepared because you made yourself available?
Who will eventually pour into someone else because of what you first poured into them?
We won’t always occupy the same seats. Nor should our sense of purpose be confined to them. There will come a season when our greatest opportunity isn’t to remain at the forefront, but to walk alongside someone who is preparing for their own next chapter. That doesn’t diminish our value, it extends our impact.
A Question for You…
As you move through this week, I want you to consider something:
Who are you serving today?
Who is coming up behind you who could benefit from the knowledge, wisdom, skills, or gifts you’ve been entrusted with?
You don’t need a formal program, a fancy title, or financial compensation to make a difference. Start with one person. Offer your time. Share what you know. Be willing to listen. Help them grow. Perhaps that’s one of the most meaningful ways we can serve: ensuring that what God has placed within us continues to bear fruit in someone else’s life.
Because the real question isn’t simply who will take our place when we leave, it’s did we help them become ready before that day arrives?
That’s life right now…
