{"id":20375,"date":"2018-11-15T18:01:07","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T02:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=20375"},"modified":"2018-11-15T18:01:07","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T02:01:07","slug":"the-narcissistic-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/the-narcissistic-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"The Narcissistic Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Using the clinical paradigm he describes the dysfunctional behaviors of a leader as a dramatic, suspicious, detached, depressive or compulsive personality and the resulting, potentially dysfunctional organizational culture.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

This was an interesting read on leadership, especially when combined with a video series led by Francis Chan titled \u201cLetters to the Church[2]<\/a>;\u201d which takes a close look at our roles as we serve in the modern day church. Yesterday in our bible class, I could not help but see some fascinating parallels between what Chan was warning about in regard to leadership problems, and what De Vries was discussing in regard to the \u201cnarcissism\u201d that could exist\u2026and maybe needs to exist\u2026in every successful leader. For the sake of this reading, I actually found early abstract paper for this book, in which he wrote, \u201cA healthy dose of narcissism is essential for human functioning. It is the danger of excess, particularly in the case of leaders, which gives narcissism its often derogatory connotation[3]<\/a>.\u201d Chan addressed the difficulty churches experience when a leader begins to think to highly of themselves and forgets Who they are really supposed to be answering too.<\/p>\n

This issue is actually very important to me because I have seen churches brought down by elders or preachers who thought too highly of themselves. I have been placed in the awkward position with my own father of having to find a new church, because he became convinced that since he secured the funding for a church building, it was \u201chis\u201d church to control. I thought about De Vries assertion that leaders needed a healthy balance of narcissism; and upon honest reflection, could not deny that there was definitely some present within my own persona. David McIntosh translated part of this explanation to mean that, \u201ceveryone has a core drama that leads to their personality style. What makes each of us the person we are is the dominance of some inner wish; the wish to be loved, or to be understood, or noticed; the wish to be free from conflict, or to help, or to be able to hurt others; the wish to achieve or the wish to fail[4]<\/a>.\u201d Perhaps this is the root of the problem in ministerial leadership today; if our \u2018wish\u2019 is based upon personal desires, then they become conflicted with the Godly desires. At what point does the personal interfere with the divine?<\/p>\n

De Vries went on to write in his early paper that, \u201cFrom many in-depth studies of leaders I have concluded that a considerable percentage of them have become what they are for negative reasons.[5]<\/a>\u201d This reminded me of the conditional promise that God made to Solomon when he became king: \u201cSo IF you walk in MY ways, to keep MY statutes and MY commandments, as your father David walked, THEN I will lengthen your days[6]<\/a>.\u201d While reviewing the life and monarchy of King Solomon, we are clearly shown that he failed to do this on many occasions. Therefore, as we read and study the path of leadership, especially in regards to global evangelism, I believe we are forced to self-reflect on the type of leaders we are trying to be. Though I recognize that I too suffer at time from narcissistic tendencies, does that become my justification or my curse? Though narcissism may be a quality found in many leaders today, does that excuse it?<\/p>\n

I always feel like I am preaching in these posts, however, I do not know how to separate the leadership from the ministry in my own life; I am always hoping that I not only learn how to improve upon myself as a Christian leader, but also inspire others to improve as well. One of the verses that challenge me daily in this area is the comment Christ made to Judas in John 14:23-24a: \u201cIf anyone loves Me, he will keep MY word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words\u2026\u201d\u00a0 De Vries wrote, \u201cTrue reactive narcissists tend to have a grandiose sense of self-importance[7]<\/a>.\u201d However, true Christian leaders should tend to have a sense of God-importance\u2026not self.<\/p>\n

I thought about how this part of the reading might relate to my own dissertation and came up with the final conclusion: I am writing on the lack of consideration that churches have started to give to the role that baptism plays in our relationship with God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. My foundation for my research starts with the Bible and what it teaches us regarding purpose and necessity surrounding the topic of baptism. The problem as I see it, is that church leaders have given in to peer pressure, simplicity in worship, and lack of bible study to make these changes. For this reason, it would seem that the narcissistic attitude toward what God has deemed appropriate and necessary has been dramatically changed by what Christian leaders have deemed acceptable to the them rather than God.<\/p>\n

I think perhaps this has been my greatest struggle with most of the leadership books we have read throughout this program; I believe that there is a difference between what makes a great leader, and what makes a great Christian leader. Our motives, methods, and goals will never fully correspond to one another, and for that reason, should be cautious when using the same evaluating tools for self-assessment.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet my heart be blameless regarding YOUR statutes, that I may NOT be ashamed.\u201d Psalms 119:80<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bibliography<\/h1>\n

Letters to the Church.<\/em> Performed by Francis Chan. 2018.<\/p>\n

Love, Bryan. Researchgate.net.<\/em> October 2002. https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/47739380_Manfred_Kets_de_Vries_The_Leadership_Mystique_-_a_users’_manual_for_the_human_enterprise_Prentice_Hall_Great_Britain_2001 (accessed November 11, 2018).<\/p>\n

McIntosh, David S. MBA Depot.<\/em> May 2, 2002. https:\/\/www.mbadepot.com\/the-leadership-mystique-a-users-manual-for-the-human-enterprise\/ (accessed November 15, 2018).<\/p>\n

Vries, Manfred F.R. Kets de. Flora.insead.edu.<\/em> 1994. https:\/\/flora.insead.edu\/fichiersti_wp\/Inseadwp1994\/94-08.pdf (accessed November 11, 2018).<\/p>\n

Vries, Manfred Kets De. The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise.<\/em> Prentice Hall: Financial Times, 2006.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Love, Bryan. Researchgate.net.<\/em> October 2002. https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/47739380_Manfred_Kets_de_Vries_The_Leadership_Mystique_-_a_users’_manual_for_the_human_enterprise_Prentice_Hall_Great_Britain_2001 (accessed November 11, 2018).<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Letters to the Church.<\/em> Performed by Francis Chan. 2018.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Vries, Manfred F.R. Kets de. Flora.insead.edu.<\/em> 1994. https:\/\/flora.insead.edu\/fichiersti_wp\/Inseadwp1994\/94-08.pdf (accessed November 11, 2018). P 22.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> McIntosh, David S. MBA Depot.<\/em> May 2, 2002. https:\/\/www.mbadepot.com\/the-leadership-mystique-a-users-manual-for-the-human-enterprise\/ (accessed November 15, 2018).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Vries, Manfred F.R. Kets de. Flora.insead.edu.<\/em> 1994. https:\/\/flora.insead.edu\/fichiersti_wp\/Inseadwp1994\/94-08.pdf (accessed November 11, 2018). P 25.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> I Kings 3:14.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Vries, Manfred F.R. Kets de. Flora.insead.edu.<\/em> 1994. https:\/\/flora.insead.edu\/fichiersti_wp\/Inseadwp1994\/94-08.pdf (accessed November 11, 2018). P 25.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201c Using the clinical paradigm he describes the dysfunctional behaviors of a leader as a dramatic, suspicious, detached, depressive or compulsive personality and the resulting, potentially dysfunctional organizational culture.\u201d[1] This was an interesting read on leadership, especially when combined with a video series led by Francis Chan titled \u201cLetters to the Church[2];\u201d which takes a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1037,1069,1068],"class_list":["post-20375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dminlgp8","tag-leadership-mystique","tag-manfred-kets-de-vries","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20375"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20378,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20375\/revisions\/20378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}