The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero
Week 8: Chapter 7 — Power and Wise Boundaries in Relationships
Read Chapter 7 of The Emotionally Healthy Leader. Key passages: Matthew 20:25-28; Luke 22:24-27; John 13:1-17 (Jesus washing feet).
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Leadership always involves power, and how a leader uses — or misuses — that power in their relationships with those they serve is one of the most searching tests of their emotional and spiritual health.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Scazzero addresses the reality of power differentials in ministry relationships — the fact that pastors, leaders, and mentors hold significant authority over the people they serve, often more than either party consciously recognizes. How comfortable are you acknowledging the power you hold, and why might discomfort with that acknowledgment itself be a problem?
2.He warns about "dual relationships" — situations where a leader is simultaneously in two different types of relationship with the same person (e.g., pastor and close friend, supervisor and small group member). What are the specific risks Scazzero identifies with dual relationships, and how should leaders navigate them wisely?
3.Scazzero uses Jesus washing the disciples' feet in John 13 as the defining image of servant leadership — but he is careful to distinguish genuine servant leadership from self-effacement or the avoidance of appropriate authority. What is the difference, and why does it matter?
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