Episode 241

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Co-Dependent Definition: Emotional or psychological reliance on a partner.

Tendency of leaders to set-up their leadership as co-dependent.
- Small Ways: Can’t make a decision because the Boss it out of town.
- Big Ways: “We left the Church because the pastor left, it’s just what you do”
Issue: The test of great leadership is what happens when you’re absent.

Why Do We Do That?

Kindest Way: We don’t even realize we’re doing it and we don’t know how not to.
- Where tools like vision, values, systems come into play when they’re being used to empower, not create bureaucracy.
Realest Way: We feel like imposters, we’re not secure in our role, we want to feel needed.
- Acknowledge that it feels good to need your opinion to make a decision.
- Acknowledge that it feels good for people to leave because you’re no longer there because it’s not the same.
Point
- We want to feel wanted.
- When a leader leads to feel wanted, they become needed, and create co-dependency.

Co-Dependent Leadership

The Impact of Co-Dependent Leadership

Hurts longevity. No momentum beyond current tenure.
Cripples Development. Think of like a parent who needs to be needed by their kids. The result is the kids never become adults. Here: The followers never become leaders in their own right.

Antidote

Conclusion