7 Dangers of Leading in Isolation

By Ron Edmondson

“There are so many clear dangers I see in leading in isolation.”

I sat with a new pastor not long ago trying to hold a church together long enough to help it build again. The previous pastor left town—after a series of bad decisions—some decisions the church is still finding out about each new day.

I am happy to help the new pastor acclimate, but my greater concern was for the pastor who flamed out too early. The one who didn’t finish well. The one who left a church in a state of disarray and struggling to recover.
And, sadly, I see it all the time. This pastor suffered from the same temptation any pastor faces. His number one problem, in my opinion: He was leading in isolation.
He had no one on the inside of his life who knew him well enough to know when something was wrong and could confront him when necessary.
Leading in isolation is displayed in numerous ways to the detriment of the church or organization.
There are so many clear dangers I see in leading in isolation.

Here are seven dangers of leading in isolation:

Moral failure
Without accountability in place, many people will make bad decisions, because no one appears to be looking. We are more susceptible to temptation when we are alone.
Burnout
We are made for community. There is an energy we gain from sharing life with other people. When the leader feels he or she is alone, the likelihood of burning out, emotional stress and even depression increases.
Leadership Vacuum
The leader is clueless to the real problems in the organization and is fooled into believing everything (including the leader) is wonderful.
Control Freak
The leader panics when others question him or her. He or she tries to control every decision. They don’t want to be found out for not knowing all the answers.

Limits other people
The leader in isolation fails to communicate, invest and release, which keeps other leaders from developing on the team. And, therefore, the organization isn’t prepared when the leader does exit.
Limits leader
The isolated leader never reaches his or her full potential as a leader, because they shut out influences that would actually help them grow.
Limits the organization
In the end, the leader who leads in isolation keeps the organization from being all it can be. The leader sets the bar of how far an organization can go. If the leader is in isolation, the organization will stifle.
Leader, are you living in isolation? Be honest.
Do you need to get out of the protective shell you’ve made for yourself?
The health and future success of your organization depends on it.
(I realize many pastors of smaller churches feel they have no option but to lead in isolation. You feel you have no one you can truly trust in your church and you have isolated yourself, for various reasons, from others in the community. As hard as it may seem, and as great as the risk may appear, you must find a few people to share your struggles with to avoid these dangers.)