Disagreeing From the Second Chair

Ed McMahon won the title as greatest sidekick of all time in an entertainment magazine's poll in July. As Johnny Carson's couch warmer and designated laugher, McMahon never upstaged Carson. He chuckled on cue and was parodied on a sketch show as frequently saying, "You are cor-rect, sir."

Was Ed great in the second chair because he never crossed the mercurial Carson? No. It was because he kept their disagreements behind closed doors.

That, in part, is what makes some leaders especially good in a second-chair position. They know how and when to disagree with the senior leader, and they intentionally develop a camaraderie that allows discussion of most any topic.

Two associate pastors who have specialized in leadership from the second chair are Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson. By the way, the rest of the top five sidekicks: Robin (the Boy Wonder), George Costanza, Chewbacca the Wookie, and Ethel Mertz.

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