One of the most damaging things to an organization is a leader who is a hypocrite. The Oxford Dictionary defines hypocrisy as the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.
The book of James has profound insights on oppressive leadership, hypocrisy, and the power of words in Christian contexts. This is the first in a series on James and oppression.
Image management can be a temptation for churches and Christian organizations. We all want others to see us personally in the best light and that gets transferred into how we market our church or organization.
Leaders may begin well. The LORD has given them vision for the organization they have been tasked with leading. But, in time they begin to drink the koolaid of power and self-sufficiency.
Toxic leadership almost always involves heightened anxiety caused by a fear of losing status or a position of leadership resulting in anger, defensiveness, and blame-shifting when confronted.
What happens down, deep within you when your subordinates, or even friends, begin to praise your holy name? Does your heart rise up and meet their praises with praises of its own? Does your heart congratulate itself and take on new proportions?
The dangers of ego and hypocrisy often come into play when titles are a means of image control. It takes the self-examination of motives to avoid toxic leadership and maintain genuine integrity and character within all our spheres of influence.
Jesus, after performing the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, gained followers, threatening the authority of the chief priests and Pharisees. These abusive leaders plotted to both kill Lazarus and defame Jesus to maintain their control. They, like other abusive leaders, used a variety of tactics to suppress the truth and protect their image.
It is not unusual for those who have faced off with toxic leadership in the church to turn from the church. If you want to find a church of shalom, here are some hints.
One of the surest ways to kill an organization is to be driven by image. One of the surest ways to identify a toxic leader is to find one driven by image.