Five contrasts between healthy and unhealthy leaders

There are significant contracts between healthy and unhealthy leaders. If you lead, take a moment and consider the following contrasts. The reality is that in each case, every leader struggles with some of these and growing in personal health is a lifelong pursuit. Any leader who claims that they are fully healthy in all five is fooling themselves. So....as you read these, consider honestly where you are in each contrasted character trait.

Contrast one: Pride versus humility
Pride sees life as being about us while humility sees life as about others. Pride believes that others should serve us while humility believes that we are here to serve others. People with significant pride focus most of life on themselves while those with true humility focus most of life on others. Prideful individuals like and need the spotlight while humble leaders focus the light on others. For a Christ follower, life is a journey from pride to humility and Jesus is our model of humility.

Contrast two: Personal gain versus a life of stewardship
Leaders have perks. They have more flexibility than others, get paid better, have more power in the organization and have more control over their destiny. Some leaders love it and use their leadership status and power for personal gain whether in salary, power or other opportunities that benefit them. there is a direct connection between an attitude of pride and a desire for personal gain.

Contrast that outlook on life with one that sees leadership as a trust to be stewarded. It is not about personal gain but about stewarding a mission and a staff. Stewards have a humble persona that is not self seeking but is other centric. Leadership as a stewardship sees authority and power as tools to serve the staff and mission and not for personal gain.

Contrast three: Intentionally accountable versus intentionally unaccountable
Unhealthy and self seeking leaders will intentionally foster systems that protect themselves from close accountability or scrutiny. Sometimes the strategy is to surround themselves with people whom they can manipulate. At other times unhealthy leaders use personal intimidation to prevent questions from being raised. Interestingly enough, in the Christian world you can add another strategy: allowing people to place themselves on a pedestal of spiritual leadership which keeps many people from challenging that leader. Make no mistake: These are intentional strategies to screen themselves from close accountability.

Healthy leaders are equally intentional but their intention is to keep themselves accountable so that there are no questions about their integrity, practices and activities. They create cultures that are open and which allow for contrary opinions, allows and encourages questions and is not threatened by debate. In creating this kind of culture healthy leaders create a culture of accountability because nothing is off limits and the open ethos creates natural accountability. While unhealthy leaders try to shield themselves from scrutiny, healthy leaders create a culture of accountability.

Contrast four: Control versus empowerment and freedom
A major indicator of unhealthy leaders is a need to control. That control can be manifested in control of people, of money and resources, of information through its withholding, of debate questions that disagree with the leader and finally, the need to regularly get their way. The greater the culture of control, the more dysfunctional the system. This is not about legitimate controls necessary to accomplish one's mission but a culture of control that seeks to limit the conversation, questions and ideas.

Healthy leaders understand that unless they can pull out the very best from those around them, the organization will not move forward. They encourage discussion around the allocation of resources, they share information liberally in order to foster a flat organization, give people the freedom to share their opinions and challenge the status quo, and people the freedom to use their gifts and abilities to accomplish their responsibilities. It is a culture of empowerment, not control.

Contrast five: Image control versus mission accomplishment
When you encounter leaders who have a high need to practice image control be wary. Image control is about the leader. It is about the leader looking good which is about pride, ego and narcissism. Healthy leaders are not focused on their image but on helping the organization accomplish its mission. Image control is inward looking whereas accomplishing the mission is outward looking.

For those who lead it is worthwhile to think through these five contrasts and where they fit on the continuum with each. Also, don't be fooled by impressive looking leaders who exhibit the unhealthy characteristics on the left of the continuums above. Where you find symptoms of dishealth above, it will harm the organization.

When a pastor resigns but doesn't leave

I recently received a call from a staff member of a large church that I know well. Their long-time pastor has resigned. Not only is he still on the payroll, but he remains in town and meets with several dozen key church leaders regularly, including several elders.

This leader has been the impetus for many staff members leaving the church over the years due to his domineering manner, bully tactics, and desire to get his own way. He has a terrible reputation among the staff he worked with but is loved by the congregation, who are unaware of the internal dysfunction. He gets his own way, and the board does not constrain him. He is a force of nature, and they will not go head-to-head with him.

The elders are well-meaning but naïve. They allowed a dysfunctional situation to exist for years longer than they should have. They had the information they needed to deal with the situation but did not. And now, when they have secured a resignation, their former leader is inexorably linked to the congregation through the leaders he meets with weekly, including several elders. After all, it is only a bible study!

Why do intelligent people often check their intellect at the door of a church board meeting? As if the pastor has all wisdom and they none? In my years of consulting with congregations, I have seen this repeatedly. Often, after due diligence, I tell the board what I have found, and what amazes me is that they are not unaware. But they have not done anything about the matter. In the meantime, people have been hurt.

These same elders plan to have a new pastor by the end of the year. Even though the most recent pastor has been there for several decades. I told the staff member who spoke with me that no wise pastor would touch this church, given the history above and the ongoing relationship of the past senior pastor with the church. Oh, there will be plenty of pastors willing to come because it is a well-known church. But they will never be their own leader, and they are likely to be a short-term casualty of the prior pastor who, while "gone," is still "there." He got his way for years, and he will continue to get his way if he stays. He will also most likely end up destroying the ministry of the new leader.

As I listened, I had two reactions. One was amazement at the lack of discernment on the part of the leaders. The other was, "I have seen this kind of situation too many times," where board members are simply not thinking wisely about the situations they face. This is not leadership. This is not being innocent as a dove but wise as a serpent. I am sad but not surprised. Their actions or inaction are setting up the next leader to fail and, in doing so, to hurt the congregation they are responsible for.

Leaders: Lead with wisdom and don't be naïve about the intentions and actions of others. Please! Don't be foolish in the name of "nice."