Analysis Of Overcoming The Dark Side Of Leadership

Our society has witnessed the fall of many great leaders in the spheres of business, government and religion. Unfortunately, the failures of Christian leaders seem to intensify the public’s scrutiny and criticism while associating shame with the name of Christ. Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership is an insightful book written by Dr. Gary McIntosh, President of the Church Growth Network and Professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership at Talbot School of Theology, and by Dr. Samuel D. Rima, Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Bethel Seminary and faculty member at the Center for Transformational Leadership. According to the authors, “the dark side refers to our inner urges, compulsions, motivations and dysfunctions that drive us

The first type are compulsive leaders, of which Moses is an example. They pursue perfection to an extreme, are workaholics and try to control and maintain order in every area of life. Comprising the second type, narcissistic leaders, such as King Solomon, are driven to succeed by a need for admiration. They are self-absorbed by their own image and often pursue their own needs without restraint. Third, the paranoid leaders, like King Saul, are afraid, hostile, and suspicious of anything or anyone that will undermines their authority. They tend to be hypersensitive in their reactions, jealous of other gifted people and are deeply insecure about their abilities. Fourth, the co-dependent leaders, such as Samson, are compulsively dependent on something or someone and obsessively worry about the feelings of others. They hold unrealistic standards that are impossible to attain, and thus suffer from a constant sense of failure and self-blame. Finally, the passive-aggressive leaders, like Jonah, are prone to short outbursts of intense emotions, impatience and impulsivity. Such a leader resists demands to adequately perform tasks, which stems from a fear of failure. The descriptions of these negative leadership styles are given to help us identify the inclinations and propensities of our own dark sides.

My understanding was enlightened about my personal life and past leadership roles as the authors explained how our needs, coupled with our traumatic experiences, cause us to pay for our emotional debt of unmet need and personal failure through unhealthy behaviours. I have often attributed my failures to my inherent sin nature and demonic spiritual warfare. However, I failed to connect the dots of my unmet physiological needs and needs for security, love, and self-esteem as driving forces for my actions and desires. I was able to personally identify with portions of McIntosh and Rima’s descriptions of the compulsive, narcissistic, paranoid, co-dependent, and passive-aggressive leaders, but predominately, the co-dependent leader. I have come to see that my co-dependent leadership style has formed as a result of my previous rigid and oppressive religious environment. The book identifies these leaders as those who react to pain rather than initiate action, often blaming themselves for the inappropriate behaviours of others to avoid conflict and hurting the feelings of others. This pattern ultimately results in repressed frustration and obsessive worrying about what others think, such that the leader determines their actions based on others’ feelings and expectation. As I read the book, I