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Could a Leadership Fall Happen to Me/Us?
Brian Kreeger 1:2 • Apr 22, 2021
Very Simply: Yes, it could happen to you and/or your organization. In fact, you or your organization may currently be in mid-fall, and you may or may not even know it!
While my answer may seem a little cynical, we have to acknowledge that it would be easy to devote this entire article to examining all of the Christian leaders who have fallen for various reasons. The list would start with big-time national leaders and end with leaders right there in your hometown. I’m sure you could name a few.
(This article is the second in a series that focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at
briankreeger.com.
In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the Introduction and the Appendix (My story) to my upcoming book, Guardrails or Ambulances?: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders.)
It’s important to keep in mind that both my question and answer use the word “could.” The possibility exists that your organization may not experience a fall by leadership. But without a plan in place or a conscious effort at strengthening the leader and the relationships around them, an organization leaves itself vulnerable to a fall. That can be like playing the lottery, and we all know what those odds are.
Naturally, whether it be the board or accountability structure, the constituency, the community, or even the leader themselves, we all want our organizations to be successful. Because of this, and the fact that we hold a tremendous amount of respect, perhaps even admiration, for our leaders, we give them every benefit of the doubt when we see indications of a fall.
And most times they deserve that benefit of the doubt. They have done great things and have sacrificed in the organization's interest to a high level. They lead a life that is above reproach, and we see no indication of a pending fall.
But too often we have blinders on, assuming, or hoping, our leader is immune to a fall. It is this naïveté and blind hope that leaves us many times saying to others after a fall, “I knew something was awry and that something was going on.”
If we don’t pay attention, those blinders may hide the fact that our organizational leader is moving from success to stagnation, or even to destruction, and dragging us all along for the very unpleasant ride. We could be cresting the hill of a roller coaster looking out at a beautifully clear blue sky, oblivious to the organizational fall that is right in front of us.
Many times leaders use their wall of credibility to separate their actions from their public persona. That same wall protects them from full accountability while carrying out their hypocrisy. And my, how struggling leaders are excellent at hiding their difficulties, especially if those shortcomings will bring them and others down, leaving them with a wrecked reputation and plenty of collateral damage.
There is no question that most leaders do great things for the Kingdom of God and are typically above reproach in the beginning, but too many times they somehow get mixed up along the way to a strong finish.
In a later article I will discuss the causes of leadership falls, as there are many. But for now, the fallout is tremendous and causes much pain in families, organizations, and communities.
No matter your role, it may be time to take a little closer look at the life and trials of the leader, maybe even a closer look at yourself as a leader.
When thinking of a leadership fall, we typically think of those that are public, the falls that make headlines and make us cringe. We fear the situation that leads to decreased donations, the disaster that weakens the organization’s credibility and solid standing in the community, and the affects on families and those we serve.
When using the phrase leadership fall, these are usually what come to mind. The leaders and situations above, along with the ramifications of the fall, create a kind of street level definition for the fall, and the tidal waves created by the tsunami that is sure to ensue.
Whether you are a board member or the leader, these are the situations you are trying to avoid at all cost, right?
But not all leadership falls are public and find their culmination in the news cycle to be dissected by all. Not all falls are stunning and bring large amounts of disgust and disappointment.
When a leader emerges they are full of promise, excitement, motivation, and passion for the organization and their position. Over time, and through some of the challenges we are going to discuss, sometimes they become cynical, bitter, jaded, or they just fall into a rut that finds them coasting.
In this type of fall nothing dramatic has happened, but the leader has lost his or her passion, and therefore their effectiveness. Donor meetings become less frequent. Employee issues are not dealt with quickly and are placed on the back burner to grow. Creativity and innovation are stifled and time off increases.
We have all seen the signs of a leader who has lost passion. A lost passion that too many times permeates the organization. This loss of passion that results in coasting can many times lead to a much more public leadership fall.
One fallen leader I interviewed even mentioned this when they said, “All I would have had to do there was just go play golf (with donors and influencers) and sit up in the office and let it run itself. Anybody can do that.”
Considering this alternative, but sometimes more damaging, definition of a leadership fall, could a fall happen in your organization?
It’s simply not easy or comfortable to consider that a leadership fall could happen. It doesn’t matter if you are the leader, the leader’s accountability structure, or the community around the leader, it is something no one wants to think about. Even if it might be something we have personally thought about, it is time to start talking about it in our organizations, whether that be a church or another type of nonprofit organization.
The fact is that it is happening all around us, so we must consider the possibility and be proactive in preventing it.
No matter how uncomfortable, the conversations must begin or the fall might be right around the corner for you or your organization.
It’s time to start talking.
Next week I will write about who’s lap a leadership fall ends up in.
Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the Introduction and the Appendix (My Story) to my upcoming book, Guardrails or Ambulances?: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders.
#Leadership Fall #Board of Directors #Leadership Survival # Board of Directors Responsibilities #Christian Leadership #Pending Fall #Collateral Damage #Leadership Struggle #Leadership Disaster #Lost Passion #Proactive Leadership
Executives -pastors or nonprofit executives in our context- are put on a pedestal. It’s not that the typical person necessarily believes they belong there or desires to put them there. But it is human nature that this happens. The general public often places much higher expectations on leaders than they do on themselves. Sometimes it is appropriate, and the leader has put themselves in that position. In some cases, it is simply scriptural. For instance, James 3 points out that those who teach will be judged more strictly, thereby heightening the expectations of those who lead and teach. But what about when we accept, and enact, those elevated expectations and forget the humanity of our leaders? Often a community heaps on a leader the expectation that they are to perform with the perfection of Jesus and not simply be a Jesus follower and disciple just like them, but with a unique calling and heightened responsibility. Too many times when a leader shows human imperfection, the respect we have for them is damaged. Leaders fall under strict judgment, and we forget they are no less fallible than us. The imperfection they have colors any positive experience we would have had with them otherwise. While most of us acknowledge this strict, hypocritical judgment and recognize it as not being how we want to treat our leaders, it is a difficult battle to fight in our own attitudes and minds. No matter who the leader is, they are not Jesus. But please allow me to reverently make some comparisons. (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. )
You are the community, no matter what formal role you play in a particular organization, or if you play any role at all. My blog articles typically focus on the roles the leader and the board have in preventing the fall of Christian nonprofit leaders. But I contend that the community that exists around organizational leaders and boards has a role as well. In fact, a community’s role can many times be much bigger. My next few blog articles will focus on the role of the community in preventing the fall of Christian nonprofit leaders. (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. )
