The leader who refuses to act on what they know is right, who refuses wise counsel, who ignores good advice will end up with a disaster on their hands. Read Proverbs 1:1-33.

Verses 28-32 do not contain comforting thoughts concerning leaders who refuse to apply wisdom. Wisdom threatens to laugh at a leader’s disaster. Wisdom threatens to ignore rebellious leaders who call on her in their time of distress and trouble. On the face of it this may seem like a troubling passage but a closer look reveals the wording is all past tense. Read more »

The book of Proverbs is not a decision-making text book, but a wisdom-packed book that is God’s gift to help leaders make better decisions. Read Proverbs 1:1-7.

God designed the leader’s mind to seek accurate information and analyze that data to make decisions. When Solomon wrote the Proverbs he gave leaders a series of statements that become foundation blocks for building strong character which leads to wise decisions. Read more »

Wise leaders use long-term vision to prevent mistakes in short-term decisions. Read Psalm 37.

Israel’s second king, David, had some roller-coaster moments in his life. He was anointed king by Samuel at age 15 but spent the next 15 years with trouble in one form or another perpetrated by Saul, the king in power. Saul sent ruthless men to kill him and even personally tried several times to kill David. When David became king there were times when his own generals, leaders in his army, rebelled against his leadership and even members of his own family let their evil side try to harm their own father. David had numerous life challenges but he did not allow them to drive his long-term decision making. Read more »

Outsiders’ demands have a tendency to sidetrack a leader from accomplishing the goal. Effective leaders stay focused on the vision and goals rather than giving time to every peripheral demand. Read Nehemiah 6:1-9.

Several regional leaders had enjoyed great favor with the Persian kings and had great wealth and power from the area known as Judah before the Jews had resettled the land after the Babylonian exile. Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem were all regional leaders or area governors of Judah and Jerusalem prior to the Jews being allowed to leave exile in Babylon to resettle the land. Every step the Jews made to become self-sufficient and a sovereign nation directly serving the king of Persia threatened their power over them and their ability to tax them. A wall being built around Jerusalem would greatly diminish their ability to intimidate the Jews living there and exacting taxes from this group would be virtually impossible. Read more »

Decision making is one of leadership’s core competencies. The ability of a leader to make good decisions in a timely manner differentiates between poor and good, and between good and great leaders. Read Nehemiah 1:1-11.

Nehemiah was faced with a huge challenge. The walls of Jerusalem were in disrepair, and the returned exiles were vulnerable and disheartened. Nehemiah used some elements of decision making that can help any leader facing the next major decision: Read more »