We have all seen first hand the narcissistic leadership that has dominated the COG's over the last 70 some years. Today it is blatantly brought to the forefront by COG leaders such as Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Rod Meredith, Ron Weinland and others. These men run their respective cults like tyrants, spitting and shouting to get their points across all the while claiming to be the most sinless, humble, loyal servants of god on earth.
Studies have shown that people look upon narcissistic leaders as "good leaders" in the leadership department while disagreeing with their methods.
Here is an interesting article discussing a test that was done and three individuals and their groups to see how people perceived them as leaders. Narcissistic leaders who withheld information tended to be lifted higher as leaders while those leaders who shared information, had empathy, listened and valued the opinions of the lone wolf, had more dramatic results but were considered poor leaders.
What is discussed below is a good indicator on how we looked at leadership in the COG. Strong dynamic leaders always withheld information from the lower masses, they were forceful in their management skills, walked all over people and tended to treat most people like pond scum, yet were looked upon as effective leaders.
We tended to look down upon those men who were empathetic, had deep concern for others, allowed questions, and who tended to get down and get their hands dirty right along side the rest of the membership. While we might have liked those qualities, we actually looked upon these men as ineffective as strong leaders. Rod Meredith certainly would not have liked them!
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The Narcissistic Leader: Not as Good as He (Or You) May Think
In most circumstances, narcissism doesn’t go over well. We tend not to like individuals who exhibit arrogance or too much dominance or hostility—all traits associated with the narcissist. But there’s one big exception to the rule: leadership. For some reason, when we rate narcissists on leadership ... Read More
7 comments:
Everyone ever subjected to Armstrongism should know that narcissists are bad leaders.
Very good info. I have to say I did not know what a narcissist even was as a kid or through my time as minister. I just knew that some ministers in the group were really out there and NEVER seemed to understand how much they were hated etc.
As you know, these men I knew then who were often shuffled around to others churches to do it all again rather than kicked out on their sorry asses, are mostly those who have risen to the current top of the COG pyramid. Crazy stuff.
I have appreciated Douglas's insights and time spent showing just what this all means and how it presents itself in business and religion and politics
In the case of Armstrongist leaders, it isn't just an issue of narcissism, it appears that any number of them are sociopaths and in quite a few of the Armstrongist cult groups, the leaders are psychopaths -- and we have absolute proof of the leader being a psychopath in at least one case.
And Dennis, don't forget Academia.
If things work out, there will be much MORE information about this topic in the next few months, combined with situational influence studies.
Douglas, i have really appreciate your work and research. Very helpful.
Had my own DNA plotted a few years ago and of course, no link to Israel and my genes did not go that way to get to europe. I'm muchly dutch, zebulon loses
Narcissism is like poor eyesight. It blinds the narcissist to his own reality.
I know we've discussed this a lot here on this blog. But, one thing we haven't touched on is the fact that in imitating the examples of the ministry, some of us became narcissists ourselves. Speaking purely for myself, I know that I certainly did, but since recognizing this important fact of life, I've been working on a more realistic and functional, relational based sense of self.
It's kind of funny. As WCG members, we saw paganism and worldliness everywhere. Now, our eyes have been opened to the ever present damages of Armstrongism everywhere!
BB
Good perspective Bob, It took me years to realize it was ok to be myself and think my own thoughts and follow my own path.
Too soon old, too late schmart!
Generally, narcissism is rooted in the relationships with the parents.
Even though there are fundamental factors which could predispose people to narcissism, it is a mental disorder, which means it is a choice -- a very narrow choice. Once this choice is made, people become satisfied with it, they are stuck with narcissism for a life time. Pockets of selfishness exhibited from time to time do not qualify.
Dennis, I heartily suggest that you do acquire and read "The Lucifer Effect" by Philip Zimbardo, because it is about so much more than just the Princeton Prison Experiment. It also includes such things as Dr. Stanley Milgram's shocking experiments. The point is the external influences which propel people into evil choices.
Let my example suffice.
As a manager of Data Processing for Eastside Medical Lab (while it still existed), I did my best to help the people who worked for me. The Lab was run by a very evil narcissistic woman who made everyone's life miserable with her self-righteousness. She had a study done by the Office Manager (who sort of doubled for Human Resources Director, in spite of the fact there wasn't one) to create job descriptions which were to be tied to salary ranges. I can assure you that no concept of fairness was involved: It was on the cheap and was designed as a triumph of image over substance as I was to find later.
So everyone was put into place and I was to sign the classification assignments for the employees who worked for me. One of them was for a programmer who worked there, who was insultingly assigned the classification of computer operator. The Pathology Doctor, who was also on the Board and the Director of Budget and Finance and my boss (as well as the one who pirated software illegally for the Lab) showed it to me and asked me to sign.
I was not comfortable in signing it because I knew it was a lie. But he was there: He said that if I didn't sign it, he would. I knew that wouldn't portend any good for my career, so I reluctantly signed.
This ties into "The Lucifer Effect" because this is just the sort of thing it predicts and describes. The pressure of the surrounding systems and environment push people into doing what they would not normally do. Later, they regret it, but at the time it seems sort of OK (under protest). I hope you read the part about shocking puppies.
In the end, Eastside Medical Lab went out of business, but not before they fired me (who knows what happened to the low level radioactive materials they used for testing they just threw into the garbage). It was a small Corporation that deserved to die. The woman who was responsible for the whole mess had managed to create an entire environment of moral dysfunction. She did deserve whatever she got in the end.
This relates well to the ACoGs. Yes, many of the "guards" were victims along with the "prisoners", but somewhere along the way, the people at the very top needed to take responsibility and should be held accountable.
Philip Zimbardo admitted his complicit behavior, took responsibility for it, admitted his mistakes, told the world what he should have done and made reparations. As a result, he has transformed portions of prison systems all over the world and made a tremendous impact on the world at large. Thanks to his efforts, he has contributed a great deal to our understanding of human nature and how fragile our own grasp of ethics and morals is. He challenges us to consider how evil most of us could be in the situation which challenges us and prepares us to resist the evil.
If only the Armstrongist leaders would do the same, but it really looks like they never will.
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