Leadership or manipulation?

Richard Blackaby July 4, 2025

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The line between leadership and manipulation is thin at times. Quality leadership moves people from where they are to where God wants them to be.

At its best, leadership is a noble undertaking that glorifies God and blesses people.

Manipulation, on the other hand, persuades people to do something against their will and often to their detriment.

Most leaders would not view their methods as manipulative, but many are.

As a pastor, I worked to grow my church and expand its programming. Those ministries required volunteers. Someone would make an announcement that we needed people to serve, and we would post a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the lobby.

Then we would wait for people to decide whether to volunteer.

When I grew impatient, I would prowl the lobby looking for people I thought would be a good fit for the role. Feigning surprise, I would jokingly ask them why they had not rushed to the lobby to be the first to volunteer.

I would tell them what a great job I knew they would do and how blessed the church would be by their efforts.

More often than not, they would sign up. We rarely lacked "volunteers" in that church!

My wife, who possesses far less guile than I do, often challenged my approach. She told me to let people decide on their own whether God was leading them to volunteer.

We had some spirited conversations on the matter! I believed that if God called our church to do something, he expected our people to support it. I could often recognize who would be a good fit for the role.

Nevertheless, my wife frequently reminded me that I was not the Holy Spirit! It was his job to convict people, not mine. I agreed with her on a theological level.

Practically, I worried that people wouldn't get around to signing up and our program would not be viable.

As I reflect on those days, I realize that I was struggling with some important issues.

First, when undertaking God's work, leaders must trust the Holy Spirit to do the heavy lifting. As a leader, I am the chief encourager. But I can't convict people. Only the Holy Spirit can do that.

Second, leaders must resist the temptation to manipulate people, even for a good cause.

Leaders can be masters at guilt trips: "We're going to have to shut down this program if we don't get more volunteers . . . If you really loved Jesus, you would . . . The same people are doing all of the work . . ."

While those statements may be true, they do little to help people recognize whether God is calling them to serve. I have learned that whenever I start to play the "guilt card," I am using manipulation rather than leadership.

Third, manipulation tends to help leaders more than it benefits those they lead.

When leaders care more about making their project successful than they do about helping people succeed, they resort to manipulation. This problem often shows up in fundraising.

All manner of manipulation can spur people to support a leader's endeavor financially. Leaders often urge people to donate money they can't afford to give. Selfish leaders don't care as long as they receive the necessary funds. But a loving shepherd won't harm his own flock. As a leader, I had to ask myself, "Is this really best for my people?" I knew my plan was best for me.But could I look someone in the face and tell them they would truly be blessed by doing what I asked?

Fourth, true leadership glorifies God. Manipulation merely leaves a bad taste in people's mouths when they think of their leader.

Fifth, manipulation involves short-term thinking. Like a dishonest used car salesman, you can only cheat people so many times before they refuse to do business with you. Leaders who rely on manipulation tactics will soon lose people's trust and support.

Sixth, godly leadership results in joy. People who are manipulated feel resentment, regret, and anger. People who are led well exhibit joy!

Seventh, manipulation reflects a lack of faith. As a leader, I claimed to believe that God was in charge of my ministry, yet I often behaved as though the results depended on me.

That attitude demonstrated a blatant lack of trust in God's provision. If I truly believed the Holy Spirit would raise up funds and volunteers for the project he was leading us to undertake, then I wouldn't resort to manipulative practices.

Most leaders are hesitant to view themselves as manipulators, but the evidence is often clear.

Examine the people you are leading. Are they joyful? Do they trust you? Do they return to you again and again? Or have you burned bridges with those you lead? Have you misrepresented the truth (lied) in order to gain support for your projects?

The way you do something is as important as what you do. Manipulation is the world's way, and it never honors God.

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Richard Blackaby is the president of Blackaby Ministries International and lives in Georgia. He travels internationally speaking on spiritual leadership in the home, church, and marketplace as well as on spiritual awakening, experiencing God, and the Christian life. Richard regularly ministers to Christian CEOs and business leaders. He has written or co-authored 33 books . This article was first published on RichardBlackaby.com. Used with permission from Blackaby Ministries International. Learn More »

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