I am currently reading “Organic Leadership,” by Neil Cole. I didn’t have to read very far before I was really struck by his description of leaders who have plateaued spiritually and are no longer growing. These are leaders who are educated and trained to be responsible for the growth of others. They spend their lives meeting others needs and maintaining the organizations they started rather than growing themselves.
Terry Walling developed a list of characteristics of a spiritually plateaued leader. They are as follows:
- A spiritually plateaued leader avoids relationships of personal accountability.
- A spiritually plateaued leader rarely applies the truths of God’s Word to himself or herself personally.
- A spiritually plateaued leader has replaced his or her joy, peace, and love with envy and resentment.
- A spiritually plateaued leader frequently looks for greener pastures in other places.
- A spiritually plateaued leader finds faults in others more often than in self.
- A spiritually plateaued leader is burned out from lots of busyness that has been substituted for simple intimacy with Christ.
- A spiritually plateaued leader compromises on ethical principles once held dear.
- A spiritually plateaued leader stays within safe areas of expertise rather than branching out into new learning endeavours.
- A spiritually plateaued leader is unable to acknowledge the wisdom of others.
- A spiritually plateaued leader has reduced the Christian life to a routine.
Too many of these items have described me at one time or another. How about you? Which one of these have you struggled with? How did you breakthrough that plateau?