Gary L. McIntosh - Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction

Not all driving forces within a leader are positive. Becoming a strong leader requires not only the cultivation of God-given gifts, but the ability to overcome negative factors. I recommend Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership to anyone striving to overcome obstacles in order to become a more effective leader.

John Maxwell, founder, Injoy

Gary and Sam give leaders permission to confront the darkest battles within in order to serve others in life-transforming ways. For all who are bold enough to embark on this courageous journey, redemption, restoration, and renewal will be your rewards.

Dr. Stephen A. Macchia, founder and president, Leadership
Transformations, Inc.; director, Pierce Center, Gordon-Conwell
Theological Seminary; author, Becoming a Healthy Team

One of the most important qualities an effective leader must possess is often the most lacking: self-awareness. Effective leaders are acutely self-aware, knowing not only their strengths but also their weaknessesthe dark side of those strengths. And without this self-awareness, many leaders crash and burn without realizing their full potential for the kingdom of God. In Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership, Gary McIntosh and Sam Rima have done a masterful job of helping leaders avoid the pitfalls that have consumed far too many leaders. This is a must-read for any leader who is serious about taking his or her leadership to the next level.

Dr. Albert L. Winseman, global practice leader for faith
communities, The Gallup Organization; author,
Growing an Engaged Church: How to Stop Doing Church
and Start Being the Church Again

Every leader has a shadow side, like the dark side of the moonareas that are disguised, or perhaps explored but unrecognized. I am convinced that our leadership will be stronger and the dangers of collapse lesser if we become aware of these dark areas and bring them into the light early.

Leighton Ford, president, Leighton Ford Ministries

There is no question in my mind of the practicality, relevancy, and usefulness of this book. I have a difficult time thinking who would not be helped by reading it; seminarians, pastors, and denominational and parachurch leaders would all benefit . Anyone who is serious about being a good leader will be helped by this book.

Robert Ricker, former president, Baptist General Conference

This book will help you gain the insights necessary to protect yourself from significant failure.

Rob Angel, creator of Pictionary

Other books by Gary L. McIntosh

Beyond the First Visit

Biblical Church Growth

Church That Works

Creating Community

The Exodus Principle

One Church, Four Generations

Staff Your Church for Growth

Other books by Samuel D. Rima

Leading from the Inside Out

1997, 2007 by Gary L. McIntosh and Samuel D. Rima

Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com

Ebook edition created 2010

Ebook corrections 07.07.2013

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-0055-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture marked NRSV is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sam: I dedicate this book to my wife, Sue. Because of her Christlike character and incredible love for me I have been better able to deal with the shadow side of my character. She is my best friend and my greatest asset in ministry and life. She has enabled me to go places and accomplish goals that would have been impossible without her.

I also dedicate this book to Dr. Greg Bourgond, a friend and mentor who encourages and motivates me and many others to always live and lead in Gods strength and to his honor.

Gary: I dedicate this book to the members of Grace Baptist Church in San Bernardino, California, who patiently endured my struggle with the dark side and lovingly supported me through it all (19761983). May every young pastor be blessed by a similar, caring congregation.

CONTENTS

T he proliferation of significant leadership failures within the Christian church and various other Christian organizations during the final two decades of the twentieth century has been without doubt one of the most serious threats to the continued credibility and viability of Christianity in an increasingly secular and skeptical American culture. It is not uncommon to hear on an almost monthly basis of yet another failure within some segment of the Christian leadership community. Unfortunately it seems that it is very often those leaders occupying highly visible and influential positions who are the victims of these failures.

In light of this increase in failures among Christian leaders, or at least our increased awareness of them, something must be done to educate present and future leaders as to the causes, results, and potential prevention of these failures. Sadly, very little training is given in this area at the seminary and graduate school level to help future leaders diagnose and address personal issues that may plague them in their exercise of leadership. It is our prayer that this book will assist in doing so.

The Seeds for This Study

Sams initial interest in the dark side of leadership was kindled during his seminary days as he watched the ministry empire of Jim Bakker begin to crumble on national television. Watching in amazement as the Bakkers broadcast desperate and convoluted explanations of their sexual exploits, drug addictions, clandestine payoffs, and financial failures while in leadership at PTL, Sam wondered how a Christian leader like Jim Bakker could have fallen so far and committed such nefarious acts. It was a wake-up call of sorts. During the aftermath of the PTL debacle, additional reports of moral failure involving Jimmy Swaggart and his fellow evangelist Marvin Gorman began to reveal how widespread such dalliances with the dark side were among Christian leadership ranks.

Garys concern for the dark side of leadership gained focus shortly after he became director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Talbot School of Theology in the fall of 1986. Within a few short years he watched in frustration and pain as his two most popular adjunct professorsGordon MacDonald and Frank Tillapaughdisclosed moral failures.

What caused gifted leaders such as Frank Tillapaugh, Gordon MacDonald, Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, and others to fail so dramatically in spite of their obvious love for God and passion for his church? One would think that people in such high-profile positions would take special care to maintain a reputation above reproach. It almost seemed as if these leaders were driven to experience failure in equal proportion to their success.

We began informally to explore the background of these leaders in an effort to learn what, if anything, was the common thread in their failures. We were desperate to learn how we could protect ourselves from such humiliating failure in the future and help others to avoid similar defeats.