Comments on: Pathological leadership http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2008/02/15/pathological-leadership/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:15:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Dave Trowbridge http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2008/02/15/pathological-leadership/#comment-99231 Dave Trowbridge Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:54:00 +0000 http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2008/02/15/pathological-leadership/#comment-99231 <i>The Schismatic Bully</i> was an interesting post. It highlights a problem that especially faces any organization that relies on imposed authority as part of its governing structure, which includes virtually all churches. That is that as soon as a person gets power, their ability to hear other people and empathize with them is severely damaged, as noted in this <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/25/AR2007112501236.html" rel="nofollow">article</a> in the WaPo. And it doesn't even have to be imposed authority. We Quakers don't rely on imposed authority of any sort, yet the history of Quakerism is rife with bullying behavior. But I think it's certainly more problematic in organizations that have an authoritarian structure, loose as it might be in the case of the Anglican Communion. (I speak as an ex-Episcopalian who still regards the communion, with fondness, as the exemplar of a creedal church.) The Schismatic Bully was an interesting post. It highlights a problem that especially faces any organization that relies on imposed authority as part of its governing structure, which includes virtually all churches. That is that as soon as a person gets power, their ability to hear other people and empathize with them is severely damaged, as noted in this article in the WaPo.

And it doesn’t even have to be imposed authority. We Quakers don’t rely on imposed authority of any sort, yet the history of Quakerism is rife with bullying behavior. But I think it’s certainly more problematic in organizations that have an authoritarian structure, loose as it might be in the case of the Anglican Communion. (I speak as an ex-Episcopalian who still regards the communion, with fondness, as the exemplar of a creedal church.)

]]> By: Pastor Nick http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2008/02/15/pathological-leadership/#comment-99225 Pastor Nick Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:39:17 +0000 http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2008/02/15/pathological-leadership/#comment-99225 As Christians we need to be fully aware of how our actions affect those around us. When one has a strong relationship with God, they are concerned more about others than self. I think that is the biggest problem in society today. We are more concerned about ourselves than we are about other people. If we would focus on others, many of the problems today would fix themselves. As Christians we need to be fully aware of how our actions affect those around us. When one has a strong relationship with God, they are concerned more about others than self. I think that is the biggest problem in society today. We are more concerned about ourselves than we are about other people. If we would focus on others, many of the problems today would fix themselves.

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