Leaders can make a serious error in judgment and still have a positive impact with the rest of their leadership life. Read 2 Chronicles 11:5-17.

Rehoboam’s leadership is primarily known for a poor decision early in his reign as king of Israel that split the kingdom of Israel into two nations. I don’t think I have ever seen a positive leadership example based on Rehoboam’s life. But even though Rehoboam’s reign as king started poorly, when the entirety of his leadership is viewed, he had some outstanding moments.

All leaders have character flaws; areas of weakness that tend to surface and resurface throughout our career. These negative elements of character, if not dealt with and replaced with God-honoring character traits, will continue to create problem situations, limit a leader’s influence or destroy their career completely. Read 1 Kings 1:1-10 focusing on verse 6.

David was God’s leader for Israel for 40 years. Even today, he is recognized as one of the great leaders of all time in world history. Under David’s leadership 12 independent sovereign tribes that could each trace their family lineage back to the 12 sons of Jacob, united and became a military and political force that changed the entire landscape of the Middle East. Today, thousands of years later, David’s influence can be seen in the nation of Israel and felt in world politics.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts,” Winston Churchill. David’s moral failures in seducing another man’s wife and then finding a way to cause that man’s death could have derailed his leadership of Israel but his failure was not final. Read 2 Samuel 12:13-31.

David demonstrated several actions and attitudes that can help any leader survive a major failure:

Every leader needs to “self-evaluate” leadership strengths and weaknesses on a regular basis. A single unguarded weakness can destroy everything that a leader has built. Read Judges 13:3-5, 14:2, 14:6 & 19, and chapter 16.

Samson was special. Before he was even conceived, an angel of the Lord set the stage for his life. Samson was a Nazirite, one set apart for God. God had selected Samson to lead Israel against the Philistines, and his valiant, single-handed battles with Philistine troops attested to his personal bravery and the presence of God’s blessing on his life.

There is hope for every leader with a teachable nature and little hope for any leader that has a self-centered, undisciplined, arrogant, unteachable nature. Read Judges 14-16.

There are several leadership principles we can learn from Samson’s unteachability: