How do we prevent
leaders crashing?
ChristianView Network
The casualty rate in our spiritual battle to
scandal or burnout is very high. Will you or
your organisation be next? Apart from
damaging leaders themselves, these hurt
followers and discredit our faith. Even small
mistakes can undermine our moral authority
with the devil and the world. Credibility lost
is often never recovered. How do we make
sure ourselves or our leaders aren't next?
The devil targets leaders because he knows
how much damage he can do. Samson and
Solomon in the Bible are tragic examples of
leaders who started out well, but didn't finish
well. Most fall due to money, sex or power.
As Christians because we know all men are
sinful (Romans 7:18), we assume a
pessimistic view of human nature. Thus
leaders need self-discipline, checks and
balances to protect themselves and others
from their desires and foolishness. We
must take precautions in both our personal
lives and in our organisations.
Those that don't are like a Ferrari without
brakes. They can go faster than others, but
can't stop - and thus crash. Likewise
leaders and organisations without these
precautions may look like they are doing
very well - but when they hit a problem, they
are at much higher risk of being destroyed
by them. The larger and more powerful
your work, the more careful you need to be.
Personal precautions
• Our relationship to God needs to be
maintained as a priority above all else. This
includes the disciplines of daily personal
prayer, Bible study and worship (in addition
to that for our ministry). Successful leaders
suggest at least an hour a day (longer when
in intense spiritual conflict) in order to
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remain plugged in to our source of power. It
also means repenting quickly and fully when
we make mistakes.
• We need close Christian friends to
share responsibility, workload, problems
and consult on major decisions. Somebody
must know what is happening in our lives,
so they can warn us if we go off track. We
must find personal friends, close co-
workers, prayer supporters and mentors.
Senior leaders can easily become isolated
and lose these. We must also pray for and
warn our friends and co-workers.
• Our personal moral boundaries must
be set far from the absolute Biblical limits,
especially where we are weak.
• Set limits to giving in our work, except
in extreme circumstances, to avoid draining
of finances, emotions and health.
• Stick to what God has called us to do
and not be distracted (2 Timothy 2:4).
• Don't seek more power than needed
to do what God has called us to do.
• Keep trying to develop additional
qualities of virtue (2 Peter 1:3-10).
• Avoid arrogance (Proverbs 16:18) and
not see ourselves as above challenge or
beyond temptation. The disciplines of self-
humbling through fasting, praying prostrate
on the floor; periodically doing menial work;
reporting to authorities and confessing sin
can help keep us safer.
Organisational precautions
Our organisations must be built on the
assumption that humans leaders are weak
material. Many organisations deceive
themselves with superficial defences that
fail in practice because sinful leaders can
easily get around them.
• Accountability structures protect
finances and decision-making. People who
can really hold the leader accountable are
those who are independent (not financially
dependent or family). They must have the
competence to advise; the interest to keep
informed and the courage to confront. They
need formalised status and procedures to
do so. Otherwise they may be fearful and
fail to challenge the leader when needed.
• To communicate properly, everyone in
an accountability relationship must be easily
contactable; transparent; willing to answer
questions, make suggestions and follow up
issues. If accountability authorities do not
know what the person is doing, for example
through reports and meetings, they are just
symbolic and cannot do their job properly.
• Multiple-accountability helps protect
against mistakes or collusion. Keeping peer
leaders informed of all planned decisions
and activities and checking each-others
work can help avoid stupid mistakes.
• Written records help hold leaders
accountable to their own word and
decisions. These include: statements of
faith; policies; periodic reports; rules;
minutes; constitutions; accounting records;
and agreements such as employment
contracts - which enable others to challenge
the leader. Otherwise leaders can easily
change their minds; break promises and be
ambiguous, forgetful, non-committal or
confused. Public verbal agreements and
reports have a similar purpose.
• Organisations must enforce discipline
against members and leaders who sin. This
must be done according to fair and agreed
procedures, rather than discretion, which
can be manipulated for selfish ends.
• As part of the Kingdom of God
organisations must be accountable to
other biblical Christian organisations for
example, networks, local fraternals or
denominations, which can question and
challenge their beliefs and practices. Even
partly isolated communities, groups or
denominations easily go off the rails.
• Organisations must seek to build
character in people and not just achieve
goals, visions and projects.
• Discourage idolatry of leaders.
• Where people are at risk of compromise,
set safety rules or guidelines.
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How do we prevent leaders crashing2.doc
• Organisations like individuals need
committed prayer supporters who know
what is happening.
Identify delusional excuses
The following dangerous lies of the devil
delude lots of Christian leaders into thinking
they are safe, when they are not. Each
applies equally to individual leaders,
leadership teams and followers:
• Overconfidence and pride: We are the
voice of morality; the ones who stand for
right and thus can't do wrong.
• I have Gods call and destiny on my life.
God will fulfil it no matter what I do.
• Our leader helps us decide what is
ethical. Therefore, what he says and does
must not be questioned. We are safe
following him and need not think for
ourselves or listen to outsiders or followers.
• We, the leaders in this area, are more
knowledgeable and superior. Followers that
question us undermine our status.
• The end justifies the means: It is
God's will for us to get this. Therefore, it
doesn't matter too much how we go about
getting it. Any opportunity must be God
helping us and in the will of God. Or our
cause is so just that any way we try to
achieve it is justified.
• Trivialising sin: I have done so much
good for God, that even though I may have
faults - my good deeds more than
compensate for my sins. God will excuse
these faults, so holiness is not so important.
• Yes, this is a problem; I will deal with it
some time in future. I have such important
work to do that I can't slow down to deal
with this. God is concerned rather about big
things like my vision and projects - not small
issues like my worldly behaviour.
These excuses may sound ridiculous, but
lots get blinded by them and we can too.
Did you see some missing defences in your
personal life or organisation? If so, think
about how you can add some ideas.
Discuss them with your leader. They may
not stop all crashes, but they will help a lot.
Issued by: ChristianView Network
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[Last update: 8 August 2003; Proofreader: N] 13/08/03