:: In.a.Mirror.Dimly ::

Yesterday, I searched for general “leadership failure” and the overwhelming results mentioned the failure of Christian leaders.

From affairs to power struggles to personal meltdowns, the internet results suggested that Christian leaders have issues with time management, character, sin, relationships with colleagues, and communication. Are Christian leaders alone in the failure department?

I dug into general leadership failure trends, and I found an article at Psychology Today that shared the following numbers:

“In the past two decades, 30% of Fortune 500 CEOs have lasted less than 3 years. Top executive failure rates [are] as high as 75% and rarely less than 30%. Chief executives now are lasting 7.6 years on a global average down from 9.5 years in 1995. According to the Harvard Business Review, 2 out of 5 new CEOs fail in their first 18 months on the job.”

Those are some pretty staggering numbers. The article goes on to suggest a number of reasons why leaders fail. These include hubris, resistance to change, and hostility toward colleagues.

It’s hard to say whether the existing conventional wisdom on leadership is inherently flawed or whether these washed up CEOs are simply failing to execute wise practices. Likewise, it’s hard to point to a cause behind the failure of Christian leaders. Do we expect too much from them? Are they just as sinful as the rest of us?

I’m honestly the last person to prescribe a path forward for Christian leaders, but I’ve seen what seminary students and pastors read when it comes to leadership. I know what church leaders talk about and where they look for their examples of excellent leadership.

Our church leaders look to the business world for lessons on leadership.

Can we learn something from good leaders? Sure. This is not a black and white matter.

The main point for consideration in my view is that we need to ask whether the high failure rate of CEOs in the business world tells us anything about the quality of the advice in our business books. Even if a small percentage of CEOs can rise to the top, overcome tremendous odds to succeed, and publish a book about “how they did it,” should we fawn over the advice they offer? What works for a small group of successful CEOs may not apply to other CEOs, let alone the pastors who read leadership books.

What’s more, if that Psychology Today article is right about CEOs failing because of pride, resistance to change, and failure to communicate, the solutions to these problems are not necessarily found in leadership books.

Do you struggle with pride? The cross has something to teach you about that.

Do you fight change? The Holy Spirit can change your mind.

Do you fail to communicate effectively? Love will help your relationships stay healthy.

The failure of a church leader is a tragedy, but today it’s not surprising. In fact, church leaders are in good company, since the leadership models that many churches follow seem to produce high failure rates in the business world as well.

Christianity has something to say about leadership, failure, restoration, and rethinking a new way forward. A good place to begin is admitting that the CEO leadership model is not the most healthy way forward for our leaders and their churches.

The solutions to our problems may be right under our noses.

Staring at a dryer and two baskets full of laundry to fold, I cursed the curse of laundry. I hate folding laundry, even if I must confess my love for neat and orderly drawers of the stuff.

I began to ponder how laundry is like some kind of terrible affliction. And then I considered the fall of humanity into sin and the ramifications of Genesis 3:21:

“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”

It’s as if God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden and into a laundry mat. While handing over the animal skins, I imagine God saying, “This is going to annoy you a whole lot more than it’s going to annoy me.”

Oh, for the days of the fig leaf.

In the end, the stubborn rebelliousness of humanity, our penchant for seeking power and control ensured that we would spend countless hours washing, folding, and putting away our clothes. How ironic it is that one residual effect of the fall into sin ensures we have one more tedious thing to do.

While standing in the garden last night in the cool of the evening, checking on the progress of our tomatoes, lettuce, and swiss chard, I sensed so much peace and comfort. It was as if Eden had come again to our yard, with blossoming irises, cosmos, marigolds, and pansies. And then I looked down at my mud-smeared jeans and thought of those cursed laundry baskets waiting for me.