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.

Hebrews 12:14-15 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Every leader could find reasons to be bitter. You will have an idea stolen by someone that prospers, you will make one mistake and an unforgiving boss delays or eliminates your potential for promotion, you have your reputation damaged or destroyed by an unethical co-worker and the reasons for bitterness can go on and on. Effective leaders seek God’s grace and do whatever has to be done to destroy a bitter root in their emotions before it can grow and cause trouble. Read 2 Samuel 13 and 14.

Absalom appeared to be a born leader. Not only was he the son of a king, but he also possessed exceptionally good looks and a winsome personality. His sensitivity to the felt needs of the masses enabled him to win their loyalty. Unfortunately, Absalom used his influence to lead people in the wrong direction. He organized a revolution against his father, King David, which ultimately resulted in his own tragic death.

Leaders that encourage their team have some characteristics in common. Read 1 Samuel 20:1-41.

Jonathan was King Saul’s oldest son and a leader in Israel. Jonathan knew David had been anointed the next king and even though Jonathan was the royal prince, he exalted and encouraged David’s leadership. He knew he risked his future throne with his support of David but Jonathan was so confident in what he had seen God do in David’s life that he became a source of strength and encouragement to David.

A leader must have faith in their team and be prepared to lead with equal effectiveness regardless of current circumstances. Read Numbers 11-14.

Moses faced open rebellion from the people concerning the kinds of food God was providing. He had his senior leadership lose confidence in him after a marriage to a non-Hebrew. He had 10 of 12 tribal leaders refuse to follow the established course and timeline after they saw the potential problems in the land God had promised them. He faced a total collapse of confidence by all the people when the 10 tribal leaders brought their report out of the leadership team and took it public. Yet when God was ready to strike down the people, Moses begged God to give the people another chance.

The story of Esau, Jacob’s older twin brother, paints a powerful picture of a leader without vision. Read Genesis 25:29-34; 32:3-23 and 33:1-20.

Esau loved the outdoors from early life and was a skilled hunter and a rugged outdoorsman. His story is that of a leader that lived completely in the present, depending on his own strength and resources and he repeatedly made shortsighted decisions.