When Leaders Publicly Break: 7 Common Traits

I recently read about another high-profile Christian leader who was taking an indefinite sabbatical due to troubles attached to his leadership. Deep down, we are all a bit broken, so it shouldn’t be so shocking when our brokenness works its way to the surface and becomes visible and destructive. The risks, temptations, and dangers are within each of us. However, of the many high-profile leaders who have resigned or been dismissed from their positions over the past few years, there appear to be traits they have in common, regardless of whether they worked in a church, government, or business. Here are the most evident characteristics they share.

1. Power

Each of these highly public leaders has had access to power – the ability to decide, control and get a lot of what they want. This power developed over time and was often granted because of the many good things that they accomplished. But they end up using this power for their own benefit and often using it abusively causing harm to others.

2. Money

Money is not the root of ALL evil, but it often ends up in the reports about damaged leaders – where they got it, how they got it, how much they got, how they spent it – you get the point. Power and money are often found near one another, and they feed each other. This is why the Bible reminds us to keep ourselves free from the love of money (Hebrews 13:5).

3. Affirmation

It is common for highly influential people to receive a constant stream of praise and affirmation. They are told so often that they are “exceptional” that they believe it. Like a drug, hyper-affirmation can seriously impact how they see themselves, embracing the praise but discounting the critique. The more they are affirmed, the more they gravitate towards those who give it and away from anyone critical of them.

4. Low accountability

In some cases, those with power have no accountability. In other cases, there is accountability, but with serious limits. After all, powerful people can be difficult to manage. The more powerful they become, the less they believe others are worthy of their submission. Remember, they are “special.”

5. Social distance

High-profile leaders gain a lot of their power from keeping their lives very private. This is what psychologists refer to as “social distancing” (note: this term did take on a slightly different meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic). These leaders may have thousands of acquaintances, but very few people see them up close, know their weak spots, and speak into their lives. Vulnerability and transparency are not words used to describe them unless it is to sell another product or present an opportunistic image.

6. Deep secrets

We all have secrets. But what often emerges as a trait in the lives of leaders who publicly break is that they had deep secrets. Troubled marriages. Drug or alcohol dependence. Abused as a child. Sexual dysfunctions. The deeper these are buried, the more powerful they become. And combined with social distancing, there is an extraordinarily large gap between who they are and how they present themselves in public.

7. Entitlement

With the affirmation, power, and low accountability that many of these leaders have, it is just plain hard for entitlement not to creep into their lives. But when entitlement is mixed into this cocktail of high power and low accountability, it can wreak havoc with their motives and their minds. It becomes easier to justify bending the rules since they are “different” than the others. The rules don’t apply.

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Jay Desko is the President & CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.