Knowing which alliances to make and which to stay away from will have a tremendous impact on a leader’s success. Read John 7:14-32.

Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the religious feasts held each year to commemorate a great work of God. As Jesus was teaching in the temple the religious leaders were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” Jesus’ answer indicated He received His knowledge from God and that set off a firestorm that ended with people trying to seize Him and arrest Him. Jesus knew which alliances to build and which to oppose. He consistently gathered around Him sinners whose hearts were ready to change and consistently stood against the legalistic practices of the religious leaders.

Healthy alliances allow leaders to multiply their time and expand their influence beyond what they could accomplish on their own. Read Luke 8:38-39.

Jesus healed a man who had been possessed by a demon for years. Prior to his healing, the demon distorted the man’s mind until he withdrew from society, lived naked in a graveyard among the tombs and was often arrested for unspecified crimes. He was a total outcast who had no friends, no support system and no hope. When Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man, his life was radically altered. The first report of the man after his healing was “…they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind” (V. 35).

Effective leaders select specific team members very carefully and for specific reasons. Read Mark 2:14-17.

It could be argued that Jesus formed the most effective team in human history. He chose 12 individuals that He dedicated three years of His life to mentor. These 12 individuals, after only a few years with Jesus, took His message to the known world and even now, 2,000 years later, Christianity is still changing individuals and changing the world.

A servant-leader’s rights will decrease as their responsibilities increase. Matthew 20:25-28.

In his notes in The Maxwell Leadership Bible, John Maxwell discusses something he calls the “leadership pyramid.”

Every leader needs someone who will give them wise counsel rather than a rebuke even when they need to vent. Read Matthew 11:1-6.

John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, had been imprisoned by King Herod for publicly holding him accountable for a moral failure. Prison stripped John’s inner circle of support from him and left him emotionally empty. John had a firm grip on his personal identity and mission; he knew he was called to prepare the people for Jesus’ message, but in a moment of weakness questioned Jesus’ identity. He sent his disciples to present his question to Jesus. Instead of reprimanding John for having doubts, Jesus provided the prophet with the information he needed to be strengthened and have his faith renewed.