The king sat down to his royal feast with some of his closest advisers. His power was felt by all who sat with him. Yet, the king knew that he was going to be betrayed by one of those advisers. His secret service had uncovered the plot. He knew an overthrow of his kingdom was at hand. So, what was he to do? We know what we would do. We know what a "worldly" leader would do. He/we would do everything possible to strengthen our claim to the throne. We would put down the rebellion before it had any chance to gain a foothold, knowing the traitor and his intent. But Jesus . . .
autocratic
James and Oppression 2: The Center of Toxic Leadership
In this second look at the book of James, we will consider the center of toxic leadership. As was noted in part one of this series, much teaching in leadership circles looks at the outward behavior of the leader as the standard. But that isn't the standard for Christians.
Embracing Criticism: Are They Words from the LORD?
Criticism can be difficult to accept, but leaders should recognize it as potential guidance from God, fostering humility and growth.
When a Leader Turns Toxic: Asa King of Judah
There are those leaders who are simply bad. They are toxic to their core and they reap destruction in the workplace. But, there are leaders who begin well and end badly.
Zechariah and Toxic Christian Leadership
Our distrust of God is what drives our trust in ourselves. We, in practice, believe that we can make better decisions, control situations better, and get the job done better than the LORD, even if we would never admit that. So too the Israelite leaders—priests and kings and counselors—thought they knew better than the LORD when Zechariah spoke around 500 B.C.
Rachel’s Story: Tenacious Pursuit of Justice
When Rachel Black was struggling to make sense of her abusive pastor, there was no Christianity Today Mars Hill podcasts and seemingly no books on how an employee in a church is to respond to such disregard. All she knew was the "hairs on her arms stood up" as she sought to understand her boss.
Serving Under the Authoritarian Pastor: Jim’s Story
“The exercise of authority is designed to serve the well-being of those under its care,” says Timothy Witmer. That seems basic to the Christian, and yet how many bosses view their leadership this way?
Susie and the Dictator: Assisting an Authoritarian Pastor
Susie's story is not uncommon. Her story is an example of a church work environment that is destructive and extraordinarily complex because highly authoritarian leadership is destructive and extraordinarily complex.
God’s Definition of Leadership: Concentrating on Responsibility Rather than Authority
We look for strong leaders using the world’s standards of leadership . . . not God’s. Elders in Christ's church are called to serve; this is how they are to lead. Jesus served.
Imaging Leadership: When Image is More Important Than Anything
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.