Each generation of leaders must help the next generation understand that no matter how much power they accumulate they are still accountable to the One True God. Read Nahum 1:1-10.

Just a little more than a century before Nahum’s prophecies, Jonah had taken God’s demand for repentance to the Assyrian capitol of Nineveh. The king and all the leaders had responded immediately by humbling themselves before God and God spared them from destruction. That generation failed to leave any legacy of humility or repentance and the nation returned to the wicked treatment of people that first brought God’s wrath. Unfortunately, children and grandchildren cannot inherit spiritual life so the attitude of repentance was not automatically passed on to the next generation of leaders.

When leaders fail to practice servant leadership they will become self-serving and the organization can become a very unpleasant place to work. Read Micah 7:1-7.

The people of Israel were in dire straights. They could not trust a neighbor, put confidence in a friend or even trust their own family members. The root of the problem is identified as corrupt leaders when in verse three it says, “…the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire – they all conspire together.” There was self-centered leadership who worked for personal gain, kickbacks and bribes. They forced the people to serve them rather than them serving the people.

Effective leaders place a high value on the people on their team. Read Micah 1:1-9.

Micah was a prophet of God who prophesied from 740 B.C. to 710 B. C. Micah had messages from God for both Judah and Israel (the divided tribes of Israel). He was a contemporary with Isaiah, who prophesied primarily to Judah, the Southern kingdom, and Hosea, who prophesied primarily to Israel, the Northern kingdom.

Leaders who exhort their team to a higher moral level serve the organization well. Read Jonah 3:6-9.

When the city of Nineveh got the news of Jonah’s message concerning God’s judgment and the impending demise of the nation that would follow, the king of Nineveh immediately repented. He took off his royal robes and put on clothing made of rough burlap-like material called sackcloth and sat in a pile of ashes to demonstrate his total humility before God. He first repented of his own sin and then used his influence to bring about a city-wide revival. The king of Nineveh used his position to exhort the people to change the moral climate of the entire nation. When God saw his response, He had compassion on the Ninevites and did not destroy the city.

There will be times when leaders need to make the hard decisions and correct their organization’s direction despite the high cost to the team. Read Amos 4:1-12.

The people of Israel had gone too far. They continually ignored the core values God had established and demanded His people to live by and had no remorse for violating the established standards. Chapter four speaks of their hard hearts and their lack of any desire to return to God. Through Amos God informs the people that even though He is a God of love and mercy, the time has come where He must demonstrate His wrath. From the first words of the chapter there is not doubt of His intent when God identifies the women of Israel as “…cows of Bashan…who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to their husbands, ‘Bring us some drinks.’” This statement held no promise of a pleasant encounter.