I have been grieved this week to read of three high-level men, one in ministry, one in education, and one in politics, who have apparently all fallen in horrendous sin. Two of the men are being accused of pedophilia and the other of murder. Like you, I read these accounts and I am mortified over the thoughts of such moral deadness and absolute failure on the part of these men. They have all taken vows to care for and protect those under their domains of responsibility and done the complete opposite.
It has gotten to the point where stories of “fallen” leaders are the norm, rather than the exception. Whether it is sexual indiscretion (too many cases in politics and ministry to recount), financial corruption (as is the case in the main story of fallen leadership in the country where I currently live), or emotional breakdown (the recent break of the producer of Kony2012), “fallen leaders” seem to be dominating headlines across the world.
While there is clearly no one answer for this problem, I do think that one of the core issues of moral failure in leadership on this level is ISOLATION. The “higher” you get in leadership, the fewer the peers and the greater the responsibility. The fewer peers you have, the less healthy outlets there are to “decompress” in life. The greater the responsibility you have, the higher the emotional toll and stress you shoulder. The result is often a deepening sense of isolation. When isolation sets in, then you are in danger of making moral mistakes of any and all kinds.
This is not a new problem. In a strange way, I was comforted this week in reading in the Bible about this exact issue of an isolated leader falling in calamitous moral failure. The Biblical hero and historical titian, King David, fell to this temptation in 2 Samuel 11:1-27.
David was highly successful. No one could touch him or correct him. He had no peers and very little accountability. David, like so many other leaders, had become very isolated. It was only a matter of time.
David’s success and God’s favor brought him into leadership. His position of leadership brought him power, and along with it, isolation. As an outworking of his isolation and power, David took a morally reprehensible path of adultery and murder.
If it can happen to David, it can happen to anyone. Isolation in the midst of the stress of leadership has tormented me at times. I have had to aggressively fight against this leaving me isolated and morally vulnerable. Guard against isolation in your own life, as I do vigilantly in my own.
Leadership is lonely and isolating. Isolated people make bad decisions. Pray for and help the leaders that are over you in this area of isolation.
Next week I will write about some of the factors which I think make people in leadership vulnerable to loneliness and isolation. Click here for the follow-up article for this one.
I agree accountability to close Christian friends will keep us focused on Jesus & the Living WORD for instruction day to day how to live with Eternity in view & honoring GOD with our life
Good thoughts, Ms. Clarke. . . Phil was the best accountability friend I have ever had.
great thoughts, Gunter… really enjoyed this.
Thanks Chris. . . though I wussed out in the workout this morning, my legs are still starting to lock up. Dang you Alex!
Word!!!
Thanks…
John, I’d like to hear you talk more about how the personality of those in leadership actually contributes to the tendency toward isolation. I would say more often you find a certain type personality that becomes a leader and as a result, the personality they have contains a bent toward an isolated lifestyle. Thus it is not leadership that is the cause of the isolation but more the type person which is commonly found in the leadership position.
Ferg, great point. Honestly, I have not thought about this. Let me think more about this. Just shooting from the hip, but I do see a ton of different types of personalities in leadership positions. However, let me think about if there is a correlation. Thanks for the comment! Side note, I have wanted to connect with you for forever. Please email me your current number and I would love to catch up.
I don’t have your email, if you don’t mind please email it to me [email protected]
John, you are so very right. I believe one of the primary tactics of Satan is to isolate us, whereby he can then eventually destroy us. I’ve seen it happen.
And I find it poignant and precisely correct when you observe on the loneliness of leadership. I hope that in your own sojourn you have felt pulled back to relationship by the love of your family, friends, but most especially your God, as well as the knowledge that you need countermeasures. You certainly give evidence of this in your comments. I’m saying all this because I love you and you are already in some sense “isolated” by being far from home and the U.S. portion of your relational network.
Scott, thanks for you feedback and encouragement. This is definitely an area that I have had to (and continue to) consciously fight against. I’m sure it would be the same in the States, but Asia just seems to breed it for me naturally.
Thanks for your friendship. You and others have been a constant point of encouragement over the years.
Hey man, men need to keep speaking to this so the topic doesn’t fall into isolation as well. Engagement and vulnerability in relationship is the key – but yeah, also a challenge for leaders. Tell us, what do you do to move into that?
John,thanks for the admonishment and input on the content/article. Would love to hear more of your thoughts on this. I was thinking about doing a third post on this over what you are talking about here. Now I definitely will. I’ll try to get that up in two weeks. Hope you are well and thanks for your thoughts!