I’ve discovered a notable difference between gifted leaders and those skilled at dominating others.

People dominating is easier, once one learns how to do it. It often becomes a lucrative family business in churches and businesses and even governments.

The easiest ways to recognize the difference is by watching how they react to conflict, and how they go about getting money.

Dominators squash, avoid, shun and isolate those who bring conflict, they take it personal and feel they own a group of people. They think they need compliance, which they mistake for unity and peace.

Dominators ask for and/or resort to guilt to get money out of the people they dominate. Especially the poor people who are following them personally.

Domination relies heavily on money, status, position, family connection, and hierarchy.

Even great leaders can and do resort to domination (after all there is often good money in it, but… what a waste of real talent.) but as more and more dominators carve out their turf in a town or city. There are only enough people able to be dominated to go around.

If you need to (and only if you need to,) follow leaders to the extent that they are following Christ, never follow or pay dominators, and if you are… STOP IT.

You can do it, you are free in Jesus Christ. There are real leaders out there if you must follow someone,but they don’t care much about having a crowd to follow them so it may take effort to find them.