Why Leadership Searches Fail: Know WHY and WHAT Before Searching for WHO

By Rob Lauer, Founder & President, AGORA Search Group

Leadership searches fail when the focus is entirely on surfacing candidates and too little time is spent building a solid foundation for a successful search.

It’s an easy mistake to make under pressure. Churches, ministries, and Christ-centered organizations feel the weight of responsibility when hiring a new pastor or leader. The stress of getting it right is real, especially if previous searches resulted in a bad hire, a poor fit, or negatively impacted the mission.

But what if finding the right person isn't where the search should start?

It isn't!

After the painful departure of their former pastor, one church retained AGORA to help them rethink their search. Their previous search had centered on finding a dynamic speaker, leaving little time for intentional prayer, understanding why an earlier pastor had left, or defining the role beyond preaching.

This time, they laid the foundation with us before considering candidates. They eventually called an exceptional communicator who led well, united the congregation, and helped them become a healthy, growing church.

Revisiting the five W's and one H we learned in elementary school—WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and HOW—might be a good place to start.

1. PRAY FIRST: Seek God Before Candidates

Seems obvious, right?

Yet it's surprisingly easy to become so focused on finding the right leader that we fail to acknowledge our dependence on God and our need for the discernment of the One who already knows who that leader is.

Prayer is more than an obligatory practice or a pregame warm-up before getting down to business. It's acknowledging that we need more than our collective wisdom and experience to discern whom God is calling to lead. It's an ongoing expression of our dependence on God and our willingness to follow His leading, even when it contradicts our own preferences and expectations.

2. KNOW WHY: Understand Why They Left

Before launching a search, take time to reflect on and understand why you're conducting it.

Some leadership transitions are healthy and should be celebrated. A leader retires, accepts a new calling, or simply recognizes that God is leading them to serve in another context.

But what about transitions that weren't so healthy? Perhaps your previous leader was terminated, experienced a moral failure, or wasn't a good cultural fit or effective in the role.

Have you honestly examined what happened, why it happened, and what changes may need to be made?

Were there organizational dynamics, unrealistic expectations, unresolved conflicts, or governance issues that contributed to their departure?

And perhaps the most important question: Could those same circumstances result in another unsuccessful transition with your next leader?

3. KNOW WHAT: Define What Your Next Leader Will Do

Agreeing on what you want a leader to ACCOMPLISH doesn't mean you've agreed on what they need to DO.

Most churches and ministries have job descriptions outlining a lengthy list of responsibilities and desired outcomes. But have you clearly identified what you expect your next leader to actually DO?

For example, rather than simply listing preaching as a responsibility, you might expect your Senior Pastor to preach 36–38 Sundays annually—or build a preaching team and teach no more than 25 Sundays. Rather than being responsible for staff leadership, you may need them to recruit, hire, and lead an Executive Leadership Team.

These expectations need to be clearly understood and mutually agreed upon before extending an offer.

Otherwise, you risk making a great hire who works hard and accomplishes good things, but isn't doing what you actually need them to do. And when expectations aren't aligned, disappointment and frustration are often inevitable.

Not every great leader…is a great fit…for a great ministry!

START HERE: Answer WHY and WHAT Before WHO

There's nothing new under the sun.

One thing I've learned from 30 years of helping churches and ministries find leaders is that the greatest mistakes in leadership searches aren't caused by what we don't know, but by what we already know and fail to do.

So before your first search committee meeting, remember what you learned in elementary school. Before you ask WHO, answer WHY and WHAT.

If you’re a candidate considering a new role, ask the same questions in your interviews: WHY did the last leader leave? WHAT will I actually be expected to do? The answers will tell you a lot. (See AGORA's current searches.)

And remember...PRAY FIRST!

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Starting a search? AGORA partners with churches, ministries, and nonprofits to answer WHY and WHAT before the search for WHO begins. Let's talk before you post the job →

Rob Lauer founded AGORA Search Group in 2000 to bring a more relational approach to executive search. With nearly 30 years of consulting and recruiting experience and more than 300 searches completed, he helps churches, ministries, and Christ-centered organizations find the leaders God is calling.