Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay about themes in his new book, Blind Spots: The Invisible Vulnerabilities Shaping Your Leadership, published by Gospel Publishing House.

Introducing the topic of his book, Clay writes:

"The most dangerous threats to spiritual leaders are not external opposition or cultural pressure, but rather the invisible vulnerabilities that distort calling and quietly erode faithful obedience. Every leader carries these invisible vulnerabilities — these blind spots — and no amount of spiritual maturity or leadership experience makes someone immune to them. …

"Because blind spots are invisible by nature, recognizing and treating them requires disciplined reflection, honest feedback, and a corrective community. Paul echoes this truth throughout the New Testament. He warns those in positions of spiritual authority to 'keep watch over yourselves' (Acts 20:20) and cautions Timothy to 'watch your life and doctrine closely' (1 Timothy 4:16). It is my belief that many spiritual leaders fail not because they lack divine calling, but because they struggle with awareness of their blind spots."

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Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 02:42 — What is a blind spot?
• 03:44 — The first blind spot is confusing calling with comparison. How does this blind spot work, and how can we overcome it?
• 08:38 — Mistaking familiarity with spiritual maturity is the second blind spot we're going to talk about. Same question: how does this blind spot work, and how can we overcome it?
• 11:38 — Losing curiosity about God is the third blind spot I want to talk about. How do ministers lose curiosity about God? And how do they recover it?
• 13:40 — The fourth blind spot I want to talk about is drifting from integrity to image management. In a world saturated with social media, this one seems especially important. What would you like Assemblies of God ministers to know about this one?
• 17:51 — In the book's Conclusion, you write: "One theme runs through all eight blind spots in this book: Healthy leadership requires embracing weakness, not projecting strength." Why is that?
• 21:02 — America celebrates its 250th anniversary this week. How should we be praying for our country in the lead up to July Fourth … and every day thereafter?
• 26:54 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 31:24 — Conclusion