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 »

When a leader has the wrong decision at the wrong time, it will equal a disaster. When a leader has the wrong decision at the right time, it will equal a mistake. When a leader has the right decision at the wrong time, it will look like an error in judgment. When a leader has the right decision at the right time, it will equal a success. Read 2 Chronicles 13:4-18.

Abijah replaced his father Rehoboam as king of Judah in the eighteenth year of the split kingdom. Jeroboam, king of the northern ten tribes quickly declared war on Judah hoping to exploit the new king and gain the rich southern part of Israel. Read more »

Every decision a leader makes has the potential to establish direction for leadership success or leadership failure. There are times when one bad decision can put a limit on a leader’s future leadership opportunities. Read 2 Chronicles 10:1-19.

King Solomon has successfully ruled Israel for 40 years. Under his leadership Israel had prospered to the point that according to 9:27a, “The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones…” At his death his 41-year-old son Rehoboam assumed leadership. Read more »

Leaders make decisions every day, and the patterns established in the small decisions shape the course of the larger ones. Decision-making ability differentiates between poor and good, and between good and great, leaders. Read 1 Chronicles 12:1 and 23-38.

Saul, former king of Israel, and his sons were killed in battle and the people of Israel were gathering at Hebron, about to make David king over Israel. Tucked away in the middle of the information concerning the type of men and number of men sent from each of the 12 tribes is verse 32, which describes the delegation from the tribe of Issachar. This verse tells us that the men of Issachar “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” Read more »

A leader must learn how to relate with their team both as a group and one-on-one. The stronger the leader’s relationship, their connection with the individuals, the more likely there is loyalty, unity, and good work relationships of the team to the leader and to each other. If a leader determines it is the team’s responsibility to work to develop these relationships, it will fail. Effective leaders take the responsibility to take the first steps to connect with their team. Read 1 Kings 12:1-24.

Solomon died and his son Rehoboam was put on the throne. Solomon had been a great king but in his later years had shifted from serving the Lord and fairly treating the people to more self-centered leadership. Solomon had taken the throne from his father David with the nation’s momentum moving in a positive direction; Rehoboam was taking the throne with the nation’s momentum moving in a negative direction. Some enemies Solomon made in his later years were attacking from outside Israel’s borders. Jeroboam, a one time insider on Solomon’s team that Solomon had physically driven from the country, was poised to attack the new king’s authority from within. It was critical for Rehoboam to develop solid connections and good relationships with key members of his team and to make his first few decisions benefit this fledgling coalition and the nation as a whole. Read more »