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Executives -pastors or nonprofit executives in our context- are put on a pedestal. It’s not that the typical person necessarily believes they belong there or desires to put them there. But it is human nature that this happens. The general public often places much higher expectations on leaders than they do on themselves. Sometimes it is appropriate, and the leader has put themselves in that position. In some cases, it is simply scriptural. For instance, James 3 points out that those who teach will be judged more strictly, thereby heightening the expectations of those who lead and teach. But what about when we accept, and enact, those elevated expectations and forget the humanity of our leaders? Often a community heaps on a leader the expectation that they are to perform with the perfection of Jesus and not simply be a Jesus follower and disciple just like them, but with a unique calling and heightened responsibility. Too many times when a leader shows human imperfection, the respect we have for them is damaged. Leaders fall under strict judgment, and we forget they are no less fallible than us. The imperfection they have colors any positive experience we would have had with them otherwise. While most of us acknowledge this strict, hypocritical judgment and recognize it as not being how we want to treat our leaders, it is a difficult battle to fight in our own attitudes and minds. No matter who the leader is, they are not Jesus. But please allow me to reverently make some comparisons. (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. )

You are the community, no matter what formal role you play in a particular organization, or if you play any role at all. My blog articles typically focus on the roles the leader and the board have in preventing the fall of Christian nonprofit leaders. But I contend that the community that exists around organizational leaders and boards has a role as well. In fact, a community’s role can many times be much bigger.  My next few blog articles will focus on the role of the community in preventing the fall of Christian nonprofit leaders. (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. )

The Land of Assumption is a land wrought with the monsters of stress, conflict, and misunderstanding. While venturing into this land is a part of human nature, organizations must battle that nature in order for their mission to be accomplished to its best outcomes. Our leader knows we care and appreciate them. The board made that decision because they want to see me fail. The executive said that during his speech because they want the board to look stupid and uncooperative. Our new board members know our mission and what we are about. They know their responsibilities. Our executive knows how we feel about the job they are doing. The board knows I appreciate their service to our organization. These are all examples of how we make assumptions in our organizations, sometimes assuming the motives of others. (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. )

A few keys to a solid Board/CEO relationship are honesty, integrity, and displayed vulnerability among the parties. But that does not always come naturally as the leader many times fears that showing imperfection and fallibility will damage their position or the organization. Being able to start, and maintain, a relationship culture that allows for a leader to exhibit who they truly are greatly increases the likelihood of avoiding a leadership fall. This relationship decreases the likelihood of isolation and loneliness in the role of nonprofit executive leadership, which is the source of most leadership falls. But where does the relationship start? Believe it or not, the relationship between the board and the executive starts before they are even hired. As the board sits around the table working to determine the profile of their ultimate candidate, many times what is considered are things like education, past experience, community involvement, standing in the community, expertise in the particular mission, fundraising potential, demonstrated ability to create and maintain culture, and general personal stability. This is typical, and each one of those points is very important. They are all “musts.” (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. )

A quote from my previous blog article: “I submit to you that most executives -no, let’s make this personal- most of you, in the deepest part of who you are, can identify potential temptations in your life that can lead to a disastrous fall. I remind you, ‘Great sins are often the product of many little decisions and are driven by internal rebellions that are finally offered opportunity.’ As is human nature, you think you have it under control. Little may you know that there is a catalyst that just might come along to activate that disastrous temptation and take it beyond your control.” (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. )

Are You? Struggling leaders are all around us, and are falling at an alarming rate. These falls are destroying families, causing upheaval in the nonprofit and corporate worlds, and leaving collateral damage all over the place. While there are many positive and motivating reasons for leaders to continue on their organizational and personal missions, one fact remains: Leadership is hard. Leadership can be heartbreaking, lonely, and isolating. It can be confidence and self-image shattering. It can be pressure packed and can rock you to your very core, leaving you blabbering obscenities at a statue in the park. The difficult side of leadership causes a person to question why they are doing what they are doing. They may second-guess every decision they make during times of discouragement and experience uncharacteristic levels of insecurity. They may question who they truly are at their deepest levels. Leaders may even question God. The hardest part is that most people don’t understand the stress and pressure you face, especially those closest to you, and those you care about the most.

A change in perspective can be very encouraging for a nonprofit leader. Many times that change comes from observing colleagues, or a conscious effort to gain that perspective from others. And this loneliness and isolation does not only exist in the nonprofit world. I spent most of my adult career managing grocery stores while I also worked in various ministries. It was not an easy job, and I was sometimes discouraged. Although I knew I was a good store manager, there were always things that made me doubt myself and my performance. I was alone at the top of the store, so I really had no one with whom to discuss my issues. Sure, I could talk to my district manager or call other store managers to talk, but that rarely happened because my pride would not allow it. What would they think of me if they knew I was struggling inside? (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. ) 

Unfortunately, Christian nonprofit leadership falls are happening with regularity. It could be a local pastor or nonprofit leader where the fall is felt very personally by many, or it could be a national leader with quite a following and scores of observers. We’ve all seen them, or heard about them. There are temptations inherent in leadership that, if embraced, can outwardly form indicators of an impending fall. I will take a look at 5 such indicators here using excerpts from a full report found here on my website . 1. Shift in/Reorganization of Priorities. Typically, a Christian leader on the rise has very clear foundational priorities, most based in relationships. The order of those priorities usually goes something like this: relationships with God, with spouse and family, in ministry, with close friends and fellow believers, then to employers and community For the leaders themselves, and for those closest to them, this pattern of priorities is ordinarily pretty consistent. But when a leader is starting to consistently re-order their personal pattern of priorities, this could be an indication of an impending fall. Brendan Bridges from Richvale Church in California says, “The things we neglect lead us to a place of regret.” There are two areas that a falling leader begins to consistently neglect: their spiritual life and their family. In most cases these two areas formed their foundation on their way to leadership. “When we lead a Christian organization, we tend to substitute that (Christian leadership) for real spiritual sustenance. The work becomes your devotions or time with God because you are working full-time for God,” one Christian nonprofit executive told me. Too many times Christian leaders sacrifice those practices that built their solid foundation for the practices of building ministry. For instance, they may lose their true church home as they speak at other churches promoting the ministry. The same may happen with their personal study or small groups they may have been part of. Besides the role of Christ in the life of a Christian leader, in most cases the love, support, understanding, and counsel of their spouse has the biggest influence on who leaders are at the time of taking the helm of an organization. Even most unmarried nonprofit executives find a security and strength in family that has helped propel them into leadership.