Could you have the ‘Dreaded Leader’s Disease?’ Could this debilitating, destructive struggle have it’s grip on you?

Welcome, once again, to LeaderVision. I’m Bill Lawrence, president of Leader Formation International.

And I’ve asked you a question that I think is very critical. Because, I believe, as leaders, we wrestle with Leader’s Disease. How can we find out if we have Leader’s Disease?

Well, there’s two things we need to do. First of all, we need to define what it is, and then we need to diagnose the symptoms. And then, after we’ve defined it and diagnosed, we will be aware if we have it at all. And then, we need to consider how can we gain control over it. And the answer’s going to be the same way we do any other disease, we need to take our medicine. But we’ll get to that in a little bit of time.

Let’s begin by defining it. The whole concept grows out of Peter’s struggle as defined by Jesus. Remember when Jesus told His men that “the Son of Man must suffer…” (Mark 8:31)? And Peter was instantly up, out, whether he was sitting or standing, he was immediately in action. And he put his arm, he took his hand, he somehow got a hold of Jesus and he moved Him. And then he looked right at Him and he rebuked Him strongly. The very same word that is used of the rebuking of demons. That’s a strong word.

And Jesus, turning around and seeing the disciples, rebuked Peter, right in front of them. Just as He had commended him for saying that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). He had commended Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon son of John for you did not learn this on your own, but My Father in heaven has explained this to you” (Matthew 16:17).

So, just as He commended him, so Jesus also rebuked him. Directly, firmly, very same word. With the same intensity that Peter came after Him, Jesus responded to Peter. And you remember what He said: “get behind Me” (Mark 8:33). ‘Get in line. You don’t belong here, thinking you’re My peer. Thinking you’re My equal. Correcting Me, challenging Me. Telling Me not to say something that I have to say.’ “Get behind me, Satan.” Not because Peter was satanic. Not because Satan had taken over Peter. But because Peter was thinking like Satan. Peter was tempting like Satan. Peter was saying to Jesus, ‘no, no, no, no, no. No cross, crown. No cross.’

And that’s why Jesus rebuked him as strongly as He did. And then remember Jesus analyzed Peter. ‘Get behind me, you who think like Satan.’ And why do you think like Satan? If you don’t set your mind on the interests of God but on the interests of man. All leaders who set our minds on the interests of man, who set our minds on position, who set our minds on power. Who set our minds on success, who set our minds on control. Who set our minds on cornering the market, whether the market is some commodity or whether the market is the number of people who come and sit in the pews on Sunday. All of us will do that, think crown without cross. That’s how Satan thinks.

And that’s exactly what Leader’s Disease is. Leader’s Disease is establishing my kingdom without my cross. It’s Dallas Willard who observed in his book on discipleship that we all have kingdoms. That we all have our little, little kingdoms that we want to make into big kingdoms. So we go to war with others. We reach out to expand our territory. We reach out to protect ourselves, to make sure that nobody comes into our territory; to do away with all threat towards ourselves. What are we doing? Oh, we do it, by the way, in the name of Jesus. Yeah, we’re establishing our kingdom without the cross.

Or, we’re getting my crown by thinking Satan’s way. That’s another way of looking at Leader’s Disease. Thinking like Satan. How can I get to that crown without the cross. How can I go around the cross? How can I prevent the cross from happening? That’s what Satan was looking at when he tempted Jesus. Because he knew if the cross happened, his power was broken. His power over death was destroyed. He knew that it would be. And it was.

So, getting my crown by thinking Satan’s way, crown without cross; using His cross to get my crown. Taking advantage of what he’s done for me on the cross. Saying, ‘I follow you, Jesus. I serve you, Lord. I just want, I just want some glory for myself. Doesn’t have to be much. As long as it’s more than other people.’ Yeah. Using His cross to gain my crown.

So that’s the definition of Leader’s Disease. Seeking my interests in the name of Jesus. While I say I’m serving His interests, I really am seeking my interests.