Think Again!

182 • Think Again: Transformation That Yields a Return on God’s Investment

B. “Narcissistic leaders also tend to overestimate their own achievements and abilities while stubbornly refusing to recognize the quality and value of the same in others. Any recognition of someone else’s accomplishments or abilities is a threat to their own self-importance and risks the loss of the exclusive admiration they crave from their followers. Because narcissistic leaders tend to use others to advance their own goals, they are notorious for being unable to empathize with those they lead. This enables them to pursue their own ends without restraints. Though narcissism seems to be diametrically opposed to the concept of spiritual, servant leadership, it is all too common in the church and among spiritual leadership.” C. “Christian leaders often use those they lead to enhance their own image and improve the way they feel about themselves. Far too many sermons are preached in an effort to gain the approval and admiration of followers, with little or no concern for God’s approval. The pastor or speaker who steps down from the platform and is immediately obsessed with whether his sermon was good is dealing with a prime symptom of narcissism.” D. “Numerous churches have been destroyed by leaders who led the church into projects too energetic and costly for the congregation because he needed to feel good about himself. How easy it is for Christian leaders to use their organizations as nothing more than platforms from which they launch themselves on their chosen career path with little or no regard for the long-term health of the organization they were entrusted to lead.”