Last week I hosted a video call with all our shepherding elders and their wives, simply to connect and share some updates about how we are responding as a church in this crazy time. Our shepherding elders provide care for people, counsel people, pray for people in our church, and serve in a myriad of…
Isolation
How Should We Respond When a Leader Implodes?
I was at lunch with a friend recently, processing the news of another fallen leader. While perhaps we are only more aware of the number of leaders falling because of our constant connectedness via social media and online news, it sure feels like an epidemic at times. Regardless of whether or not the reality of…
Why I Almost Didn’t Write the Book AND Why I Have Already Struggled to Promote It
I almost did not write the book How To Ruin Your Life because I was afraid people would assume I was piling on, leveraging the pain of others, and kicking good people while they were down. In my role at LifeWay, we had been through a painful season of seeing leaders we love disqualify themselves…
The Lure of Isolation for Leaders
Isolation is often very attractive, and it is on the rise with no signs of slowing down. Over 20 years ago, Robert Putnam wrote a landmark article that became a book about the rise of isolation in America. He called the book Bowling Alone because his research revealed that bowling leagues and other opportunities for…
5 Indicators You Are an Isolated Leader
An isolated leader is a dangerous leader. An isolated leader won’t receive care and encouragement to continue leading, won’t receive necessary confrontation, will limit learning, and will lead in a way that is divorced from the people and from reality. How do you know if you are isolated leader? Here are five indications: 1. If…
6 Reasons Isolated Leaders Are Dangerous Leaders
An isolated leader is a dangerous leader. The sting of criticism, the burden of the responsibilities, and the pace of leadership can nudge a leader towards isolation, but every step towards isolation is a step towards danger. Sadly, many leaders move towards isolation. They have taken the cliché “it’s lonely at the top” as justification…
3 Reasons Why Ministry Leaders Choose to Be Isolated
It is not uncommon for ministry leaders to preach on community while living in isolation. While we can preach on community for everyone else, ministry leaders are often tempted to live in isolation. Why do ministry leaders often choose isolation? What pulls them away from community and away from being vulnerable with others? While there…
Links for Leaders 8/12/16
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post called “5 Ways to Lose Your Ministry.” One of those ways is by committing adultery. Brad Hambrick wrote a helpful blog post, an open letter, to someone who is having an affair. Read it and learn. It’s insightful and sobering. One of the ways pastors and other…