The danger of following the wrong kind of leader is you’ll end up being led over the edge of a cliff.
Just ask the people who joined the People’s Temple led by Jim Jones. Hundreds followed Jones to Guyana to establish a commune. Nearly a thousand died in a mass murder-suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.
Then, don’t forget the nearly 100 followers of Charlie Manson who lived on a deserted ranch, experimented with drugs, and are thought to have murdered over 35 people.
Other examples of dangerous leaders include Marshall Applewhite, David Koresh, and the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
These, and leaders like them, exude confidence and are charismatic visionaries. Those traits gave them the influence they needed to attract followers. Yet, they all led their followers off the cliff.
Jesus’ Warning About Following Bad Leaders
Jesus warned against following the wrong leaders. When speaking of the religious leaders of His day, Jesus said, “They are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14).
The Pharisees that Jesus refers to considered themselves enlightened leaders of the people, able to bring people closer to God. Jesus’ warning is that these Pharisees may sound like trustworthy leaders and even act like Godly leaders, but they are not. In reality, followers should avoid them because they cannot be trusted.
Following them, says Jesus, will not end well!
Why Do We Follow Bad Leaders?
In his article published by Psychology Today, psychologist Ronald Riggio Ph.D., asked the question, Why Do People Follow Bad Leaders? Riggio identified four reasons why we follow bad leaders.
- We prefer strong, confident leaders. However, we often confuse arrogance and narcissism for strength.
- We fail to exercise rigor in analyzing a leader. Instead, putting the leader on a pedestal, we accept their views without question.
- We equate effectiveness with being a good leader. We place value on results but fail to consider how those results were obtained (i.e., “the ends justify the means”).
- We bask in the leader’s power by association. We accept bad leaders when we get what we want from them.
How Do We Choose the Right Leaders to Follow?
Surveying the field of leaders in government, business, and even our churches, it is immediately apparent that unqualified, untrustworthy leaders abound!
There are many “blind guides” out there willing to lead us off the cliff.
So, how do we choose the right leaders to follow?
In a word, discernment.
As Christian leaders, we need Godly discernment to follow Godly leaders: leaders who are themselves capable of building up the body of Christ.
We must avoid leaders who are “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14).
We need discernment to follow strong, confident leaders who follow God and are not arrogant narcissists. We need discernment to analyze the motives and results of leaders.
So, if you consider engaging with an organization, whether it is a business, a church, or a government entity, consider their leaders carefully and exercise Godly discernment before committing to them.
Following leaders without Godly discernment is likely to end in our being led over the edge of a cliff!
What About Leaders We Don’t Choose?
There are many leaders in our lives we have no choice but to follow. We don’t choose our bosses, yet we have to follow their lead. We rarely choose our elected officials, our pastors, or the elders in our church.
What is a Christian to do?
Once again, Godly discernment is vital. Avoid association with bad leaders when you can, but recognize that we are living in a fallen world. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul warned us that because we live in a fallen world, we cannot avoid all the immoral people (1 Corinthians 5:9-10). However, we can live among them without becoming like them (1 John 2:15)!
Since we are living in a fallen world, Jesus reminds us we are to be “a light to the world” so everyone will see our good works and give glory to God (Matthew 5:14-16).
More Articles
I have written several articles recently on a leader’s character. You can find them by typing “Character” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #443: The Folly of Wasting God’s Gift of Discernment
- #442: What We Do Matters. Who We Are Matters More!
- #440: If You Are Green with Envy, You Are Ripe for Trouble!
- #435: How Do Good Leaders Exercise Their Authority in The Service of Others?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have you found it challenging to find and follow the right leaders?
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Category: Personal Development | Character
Discernment is certainly key in choosing a leader, but in the political arena, many voters seem to lack discernment. Those random man on the street news interviews with voters so often exposes voter apathy, lack of education, conspiracy theories, and “give me free stuff” thinking at the expense of critical thought.
I’ve seen some of those “man on the street” interviews done on college campuses. Honestly, the lack of understanding and awareness is absolutely frightening. Critical thinking has been replaced by social media sheep chasing notoriety, likes, and shares. It’s really sad to see how things have changed in the last 20 years.