Unfortunately, history is filled with accounts of leaders who disregarded God’s revealed will and chose to do what seemed right to them at the time. Read Proverbs 16:25.

A fundamental question all Christian leaders should have an answer to prior to the temptation to participate is, “When is the price of obedience to God too costly?” Or put another way, “When does my way benefit me so much that it seems more right to me than God’s way?” Every Christian leader should periodically ask, “Do I have a price that would tempt me to choose my desires over God’s standards?” A godly leader’s commitment to God should be such that they will obey Him no matter the perceived value of the compromise offered. Read more »

Developing into an effective leader requires effort. Read Proverbs 12:24.

In his book The Winner Within, former player and NBA Coach Pat Riley reveals the effort it takes to be a leader on the floor: “Being a game player is a fiction some people use to excuse themselves from working as hard as they should. People who think they are game players are what coaches call ‘floaters.’ They float along on a cushion of talent or sheer physical size and strength. They don’t see what all the fuss over concentration and work ethic is about – until players of lesser talent start scoring in their face, quarter after quarter, simply because they are more in tune with their game…Eventually, every team (and player) has to learn that excellence isn’t a destination. It’s a process that must be continually improved.” Read more »

An effective form of communication used in the Proverbs is juxtaposing the lifestyles of two opposites. Leaders can learn a lot from the comparison of the ant from the insect world with the human sluggard. Read Proverbs 6:6-11.

Every leader is probably familiar with the instinctive work habits of the ant to gather and store food during the summer months so they have enough to survive during the winter, but leaders may not be as familiar with the word “sluggard.” The dictionary definition is someone that is lazy; somebody who avoids work or physical exertion. Read more »

On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being barely adequate and 10 being fully adequate, submitting to accountability will be a 1 unless the leader takes deliberate action to be accountable. Submitting to accountability has an element of reluctance; effective leaders pray for and seek accountability. Read Psalm 141:1-5.

King David passionately asked God to set a guard over his mouth (his words). He prayed that his heart (his mind, will and emotions) would not be drawn away from God’s standards toward evil. And David looked for righteous individuals that had the passion to slap him if need be to get his attention and hold him accountable to God’s standards. Read more »

A leader by nature has power and influence. Power and influence are essential to leadership and without them it is impossible for leaders to lead. What a leader does with their power and influence matters more than they may realize. Read Psalm 82:1-8.

God had established a system whereby the Jewish people could get fair legal rulings from impartial leaders He called judges. Much of America’s legal system is built on the Biblical model God gave the Jews. Because of the authority in their role as God’s delegates and image bearers, these leaders are referred to as “gods” (v. 1). Psalm 82 describes a scene in which God chastises and challenges Israel’s judges. Rather than being accountable to defend the “weak and fatherless” and to protect the “poor and oppressed” these leaders were “defend(ing) the unjust” and “show(ing) partiality to the wicked.” Read more »