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Consider the following two scenes.
Scene one: a staff member has a moral failure and is terminated. That same day, staff are gathered and are informed of the termination as well as the events surrounding the firing. After announcing these circumstances, the senior leadership: 1) immediately threaten the staff that they will have the same fate if they do something similar and 2) begin to verbalize and formalize a communication plan on how to deal with the potential fallout of said circumstances. A corporate prayer is offered over the situation…but it feels off.
Scene two: a staff member has a moral failure. The staff person recognizes the sin and resigns. On their last day of employment at the church, other staff and leadership gather around that employee to pray for them and to let them know that they are loved and are still valuable in the work of God's Kingdom. Less than a week later, senior leadership gather the staff team together and process through the circumstances of that staff persons departure as well as spend time praying together for that staff person, one another, and the church.
The above scenes are not hypotheticals; they are experiences I have had under different churches and different church leadership. In both cases, the sin was very similar…but the response of leadership was drastically different. In each case, the leader's response greatly affected the staff culture (both short- and long-term).
In my close to 25 years of vocational ministry, I have had the privilege to serve with and under some incredible church leaders. The overwhelming majority of them have been fantastic. There have been a few, unfortunately, who were toxic leaders, and their toxicity greatly impacted staff cultures (and ultimately the congregation).
The following list of toxic traits is anecdotal from my own experience in the church world…these are things I have observed from toxic leaders. I believe these traits can be exhibited by all leaders (me included) if we do not keep our hearts and minds guarded in Jesus.
1. They are works-filled vs. grace-filled. Rules, policy, and the "law" trump people. When staff make a mistake or don't complete a goal, little if any grace is given.
2. They are all about their reputation. They are more concerned with their reputation as leaders or with the reputation of the church than they are the individual staff or congregants who make up the church.
3. They use people. Outcomes are more important than people.
4. They surround themselves with "yes" people. It is difficult to find folks in their inner circle who have differing viewpoints or provide pushback.
5. Pushback or disagreement are highly frowned upon. Constructive criticism is not received well from anyone.
6. They are full of pride.
7. They don't lead well through change. There isn't a consideration of the ongoing well-being or health of the staff.
8. Their leadership style is autocratic. They don't listen to others' opinions. They tend to micro-manage and don't allow others to do the jobs they have been called to do. They are domineering.
9. They are self-absorbed. They rarely see themselves as the source of any problem.
10. The fruit of the Spirit seems to be absent in their life. Anger, outbursts, and a lack of kindness and gentleness are not present.
 | Kris Eldridge lives in Louisville, Kentucky and is the Local Outreach Pastor at Northeast Christian Church. He is also the founder of Outreach Ministry Solutions, where his focus is consulting with churches to help them reach their communities. Learn More » |
This isn’t just another leadership book—it’s your invitation to discover how Christ-centered questions can transform the way you lead and live. Packed with real stories and timeless wisdom, it shows you how to grow your influence, deepen your faith, and lead with the same life-changing impact Jesus did.
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