The Dark Side (of personality)

[Oscar]

Folks,

Here is a quote from a review of a newly revised book co-authored by a Biola professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership.

Its title is "Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction, (Revised Edition).

This particular part of the review is dealing with narcissistic leaders. (Now who does that word make you think of?  )

If, however, like King Solomon and Jim Bakker, our dark side takes the shape of narcissism, it can cause us to exploit those we have been called to lead. Rather than looking our for the needs of others, narcissism, if not overcome, will cause the leader to see people as so much "beef on the hoof," whose sole purpose is to feed the leader's insatiable appetite for bigger and better achievements. Narcissistic leaders literally have destroyed churches with building projects the churches didn't need and couldn't afford, again for no purpose other than to enable the insecure leaders to feel good about themselves temporarily. In the worst case, rampant narcissism will even lead to unethical and illegal behavior as the leader is driven to achieve regardless of the price that must be paid.

The complete review is available here:

http://www.barnabasministry.com/review-darkside.html

A complete outline of the book is available here:

http://www.nmichwes.org/bkrevw/darkside.htm


Tom Maddux

[Margaret]

Here's another quote from the book, this one on the leader with a compulsive dark side. Anyone besides me recognize Betty?

A compulsive dark side allowed to operate unchecked can result in a personal and organizational rigidity that stifles creativity and frays our relationships with others. Compulsive leadership can produce a self-righteous, legalistic environment that alienates the people we are called to lead. Compulsive tendencies can result in workaholism or a painful emotional explosion and lead to a complete burnout that may take years to recover from. Additionally, the urge to control those we lead and live with more often than not results in alienation and rebellion as people react against our control. More than one marriage and church have been hopelessly fractured by such leadership.

And this one, the codependent, was me, and others too, I'm sure.

Many codependent leaders have destroyed themselves in ministry as they tried in vain to keep an entire church happy and meet every other need while ignoring their own family and personal needs. Burnout, divorce, adulterous affairs, and physical illness can result when a leader fails to redeem his or her codependent behavior. It is highly likely that codependency has crippled more churches and Christian organizations than any other leadership malady.

Thanks, Tom. It seems to help, in some perverse kind of way, to become aware that these problems plague other churches besides just the Assembly--to the degree that the phenomenon is wide spread enough to deserve a book about it by a college professor.