President Harry Truman made a famous statement that indicated the buck stopped at his desk. He was ultimately responsible for the decisions of both the military and civilian leaders that surrounded his presidency. Responsibility is the ability to meet obligations; the act of being accountable; a duty of trust. A leader can share responsibility and a wise leader will delegate responsibility and authority for areas assigned to other leaders but the ultimate responsibility for results cannot be given away. Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-25.

Jehoshaphat had assumed the responsibilities of king of Judah. He had sent leaders to teach the people from the Book of the Law and had appointed some trusted leaders to administer the law and settle disputes. Just as Jehoshaphat was finishing his reforms to strengthen Judah’s internal governing structure, Judah was threatened by an army made up of a three nation alliance. Reports of this huge army’s activities and advance frightened Jehoshaphat. Read more »

God has entrusted to leaders the dignity and responsibility of being stewards of the resources and creatures of this planet. When a leader shapes, refines or creatively utilizes the minerals, plants and animals that God has placed at their disposal, they are accountable for the results. Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-16.

Near the end of his reign as king of Israel, David was stockpiling materials for construction of the temple to house the Ark of the Covenant of God. He has described his task in 29:1b saying, “The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God.” Wow! Talk about a vision statement! David personally had given willingly and sacrificially of his resources for this project and at his request so had the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes, the commanders of his army and the government officials. Read more »

Accountability is always in a leaders own best interest regardless of the degree of inconvenience it may entail. Read 2 Kings 12:1-3 and 2 Chronicles 24:15-25.

As a one-year-old, Joash, a prince in Judah was rescued during an assassination attempt. He was smuggled into the temple and raised and taught by the priest Jehoiada for six years and then brought to the throne as Judah’s king through a daring plan devised and carried out by Jehoiada. Joash never forgot the kindness of the priest and allowed Jehoiada to hold him accountable as long as Jehoiada lived. According to 2 Kings 12:2, “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.” Read more »

Wise leaders willingly sign up to be accountable and welcome accountability partners. Read 2 Kings 5:15-27.

Elisha turned down the money and gifts Naaman the Syrian had offered to him for the miracle of curing his leprosy. Gripped by greed, Elisha’s servant Gehazi went after Naaman and lied to him stating that his master had some new prophets arrive and requested a portion of what Naaman was willing to pay. When Elisha confronted his servant, he foolishly lied again hoping to veil his deed from the spirit of the prophet. Gehazi had rationalized his disobedience and failed to consider the possible consequences of his actions. Read more »

“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: Read more »