Effective leaders create structure that addresses the methods by which resources flow through the organization to accomplish work. Read Numbers 11:1-35.

When Moses couldn’t handle all of the responsibilities of leading Israel, God told him to enlist seventy qualified persons, empower them and allow them to help to carry the burden. Moses was overwhelmed and the people under-served so God took action. The existing system wasn’t working so He changed it. It wasn’t about “who’s the boss”, it was about who would serve the people.

Well-led organizations can accomplish more than any individual can hope to accomplish. Read Exodus 18:1-27.

Moses was overwhelmed by the problems of leading a large number of people. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, helped Moses to see that organization and structure are essential to effective operation. Not only is work accomplished more efficiently, but people are better served and supported in doing the work.

Effective Christian leaders make long range plans and give God room to actively direct or change those plans. Read Romans 15:22-29.

In today’s verses the Apostle Paul is in process of taking a love offering from the churches in Macedonia to the church in Jerusalem that had fallen on hard times. While on his way to Jerusalem, Paul is writing to the Christians in Rome discussing some long range plans to visit their church on his way to preach the Gospel in Spain.

Effective leaders are able to communicate values as well as vision to their team. Read Isaiah 30:1-5.

No leader can guarantee the future but every team member has the right to ask their leader “where are we heading” and “what are the methods we will use to get there.” Every responsible leader should have an answer concerning operational core values and the vision for this month and for the next 3 years.

The wise leader will learn from everything in their environment. Read Proverbs 6:6-8.

Every leader has the potential to learn principals of leadership by simply studying the organization and activity of an ant colony. Nature abounds with illustrations of animals and insects that store up provisions during times of abundance in preparation for times of scarcity. God gave them instincts to look ahead and prepare. In today’s verses the ants do what needs to be done when it needs to be done to make provision for the future.