Post by philiprosenthal on Feb 6, 2007 12:46:51 GMT
WHY DO HYPER-AUTHORITARIAN LEADERS HAVE SO MANY CRISES?
One of the constant characteristics of hyper-authoritarian/cultic parts of EveryNation are the recurrent crises that the organisation goes through. Why do they have so many crises?
A complex answer: Crises form part of the dysfunctional environment in which personality cult authoritarian leaders thrive. It can be a financial crisis or a church politics crisis or a internal leadership crisis or whatever - but there is always a crisis. Why do they never smooth out and have a placid normal church life? Because the dysfunctional nature of the authoritarian leader tends to create crises and thrives in the environment.
Firstly an authoritarian leader is aiming at unrealistic goals and makes rash decisions without first consulting properly. He also ignores everything except his pet projects plus the crises. So the result is inevitably something goes wrong and there is a crisis. Secondly, the authoritarian leader needs justification for his authoritarianism. This justification is easiest provided for by the reason that he is trying to solve a crisis and so doesn't have time to listen to anyone else. Other people must be tolerant of his bad behaviour because he is under extreme stress trying to solve the crises which if not solved would hurt everyone. So we should all be grateful for his heroism and supreme wisdom and not get in his way or question what he is doing. We must preserve secrecy because we don't want the common members to find out about the crisis till we have solved it. Amongst all this dysfunctional leadership behaviour and crisis there develops the 'fog of war' where sin can be conveniently hidden. Then God judges the sin and this causes more crises.
As soon as all problems are solved and things calm down, the authoritarian leader launches on some new major re-organisation or pet project that will take resources and energy away from everything else - and put the organisation back on track towards the next crisis.
A crisis has all sorts of uses. If there is a financial crisis, then there is a chance to reduce staff and fire those who may disagree with the leader (interesting those cultic loyalists never get fired). The need to accomplish so much so big so quickly justifies concentrating more authority into the hands of the top leader (else we would never get it done). I justifies ignoring the many concerns of members (because we are so busy). It justifies not answering questions (because it is sensitive information). It warrants continual reorganisation and shifting of people and resources, without consultation so that people are always vulnerable to the leaders whims - so they will be afraid to speak up against the leader because they are vulnerable. The crisis concentrates peoples attention on an enemy other than the leader. It causes people to ignore the sensible voices that speak up for change. Problem is that as soon as one crisis is solved, then a new one arises. The leader and his henchmen are always shown to be the heroes solving the crises. The crisis is Goliath and they are the Davids. For example, we run out of money to pay salaries or the church debt repayments, but the hero-leader goes and raises some money to do so or reschedules the debt or whatever.
So they deserve much praise, loyalty and admiration. Critics should shut up and be tolerant of their weaknesses.
The people are always grateful and impressed with the leaders incredible ability to accomplish great feats and solve crises - without stopping to think that he is creating the crises in the first place by his authoritarian methods.
So next time you hear the excuse that XYZ needs to be done or can't be done because there is a crisis - realise you are part of a massive manipulation.
The question is how does one help followers to realise that the leader is not only the hero solving the crises - he is also the villain creating them also? And he doesn't really want to stop the crises - he loves them and thrives in the situation.
The solution I think is that we have to tell such a leader that we want to be involved in the solution to the crisis - we don't want him just doing it for us. And we want a change of culture with more accountability where crises are less likely to develop.
One of the constant characteristics of hyper-authoritarian/cultic parts of EveryNation are the recurrent crises that the organisation goes through. Why do they have so many crises?
A complex answer: Crises form part of the dysfunctional environment in which personality cult authoritarian leaders thrive. It can be a financial crisis or a church politics crisis or a internal leadership crisis or whatever - but there is always a crisis. Why do they never smooth out and have a placid normal church life? Because the dysfunctional nature of the authoritarian leader tends to create crises and thrives in the environment.
Firstly an authoritarian leader is aiming at unrealistic goals and makes rash decisions without first consulting properly. He also ignores everything except his pet projects plus the crises. So the result is inevitably something goes wrong and there is a crisis. Secondly, the authoritarian leader needs justification for his authoritarianism. This justification is easiest provided for by the reason that he is trying to solve a crisis and so doesn't have time to listen to anyone else. Other people must be tolerant of his bad behaviour because he is under extreme stress trying to solve the crises which if not solved would hurt everyone. So we should all be grateful for his heroism and supreme wisdom and not get in his way or question what he is doing. We must preserve secrecy because we don't want the common members to find out about the crisis till we have solved it. Amongst all this dysfunctional leadership behaviour and crisis there develops the 'fog of war' where sin can be conveniently hidden. Then God judges the sin and this causes more crises.
As soon as all problems are solved and things calm down, the authoritarian leader launches on some new major re-organisation or pet project that will take resources and energy away from everything else - and put the organisation back on track towards the next crisis.
A crisis has all sorts of uses. If there is a financial crisis, then there is a chance to reduce staff and fire those who may disagree with the leader (interesting those cultic loyalists never get fired). The need to accomplish so much so big so quickly justifies concentrating more authority into the hands of the top leader (else we would never get it done). I justifies ignoring the many concerns of members (because we are so busy). It justifies not answering questions (because it is sensitive information). It warrants continual reorganisation and shifting of people and resources, without consultation so that people are always vulnerable to the leaders whims - so they will be afraid to speak up against the leader because they are vulnerable. The crisis concentrates peoples attention on an enemy other than the leader. It causes people to ignore the sensible voices that speak up for change. Problem is that as soon as one crisis is solved, then a new one arises. The leader and his henchmen are always shown to be the heroes solving the crises. The crisis is Goliath and they are the Davids. For example, we run out of money to pay salaries or the church debt repayments, but the hero-leader goes and raises some money to do so or reschedules the debt or whatever.
So they deserve much praise, loyalty and admiration. Critics should shut up and be tolerant of their weaknesses.
The people are always grateful and impressed with the leaders incredible ability to accomplish great feats and solve crises - without stopping to think that he is creating the crises in the first place by his authoritarian methods.
So next time you hear the excuse that XYZ needs to be done or can't be done because there is a crisis - realise you are part of a massive manipulation.
The question is how does one help followers to realise that the leader is not only the hero solving the crises - he is also the villain creating them also? And he doesn't really want to stop the crises - he loves them and thrives in the situation.
The solution I think is that we have to tell such a leader that we want to be involved in the solution to the crisis - we don't want him just doing it for us. And we want a change of culture with more accountability where crises are less likely to develop.