The judgement of God over a nation is bad leadership. We see it in the books of Judges and Kings in the Bible.
God’s judgement is upon our nation.
In the past two years, we have witnessed some of the worst leadership in our nation’s history. From how Covid was handled, to shutdowns and mandates, we are drowning in toxic leadership. The way in which governors have responded to rioting in the streets is anecdotal of toxic leadership. The trust of the American public for our political leaders is at an all-time low.
One of the topics on leadership I’ve never read nor written on is what I’m calling “toxic leadership.” Another term might be “unhealthy leadership.” The bluntest title would be “bad leadership.” John Maxwell comes the closest to the toxicity of some leaders when he writes, “Self-centered leaders manipulate to move people for personal benefit. Mature leaders motivate by moving people for mutual benefit.”
Five Characteristics of Toxic Leadership
- Toxic leadership divides people. Leaders who divide people are dangerous! Because of their selfish motives, they are unable to build healthy relationships and unite people.
- Toxic leadership blames people. Leaders who constantly blame others and cannot work toward solutions are bad leaders.
- Toxic leadership labels people. Be careful of leaders who constantly label people with whom they disagree. Such leaders are fearful of constructive banter and disagreement because of their insecurity.
- Toxic leadership is built on self-promotion. Such leaders are full of themselves. They work out of a desire to belittle others to promote themselves.
- Toxic leadership implodes. Such leaders will eventually cannibalize themselves and their organizations. They may see success for a while, but eventually it is destroyed from within.
Be wary of toxic leaders. They abound everywhere you turn. Next week, we will look at Moses in the book of Exodus and observe healthy life-giving leadership.
Lead On!
Pastor Steve
