An uncommitted leader is actually a danger to their team. Read Zechariah 10:1-3.

Teams take on the attitude and behavior of their leader. The Lord held the leaders among the returned exiles accountable for their treatment of the people. He says, “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for His flock…” (v. 3). Through my leadership life I have found a lot of individuals who wanted to be a leader but didn’t want to do the work of or accept the responsibility of a leader. Accepting a leadership role requires committing to leadership responsibility.

Justice flows from a leader’s Christlike attitude of serving others. Read Zechariah 7:1-14.

After returning to Israel from the Babylonian exile, the leaders wanted to know if they needed to “mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years” (v. 3). God’s answer came first in the form of a question, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?” The second part of God’s answer spoke directly to their question when He said, “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.” God addressed the motives behind the behavior.

God requires leaders to use all the skill He has given them while depending on Him for the outcome. Read Zechariah 4:1-9.

Zerubbabel was among the first group of exiled Hebrews to return from Babylonian captivity. God’s first assignment and His number one priority was to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem that Babylon had destroyed some 70 years earlier. He had a difficult assignment. When God tasked Solomon to build the original temple he had nearly unlimited resources, a willing workforce and Israel was at peace with their neighbors. Zerubbabel had strong opposition, a small demoralized workforce and very limited resources. With all these elements against him, Zerubbabel had allowed the construction to grind to a halt. At this low moment, through Zechariah, God reminds Zerubbabel and all the people that they would succeed but not because of their own might and power; He would be their source of victory.

When leaders express vision their team will be encouraged. Read Zechariah 2:1-13.

Zechariah was writing to people who had recently experienced a seventy-year exile from their homeland to Babylon. The small contingent who had returned to Judah and Jerusalem were being challenged to finish the temple construction when Zechariah gave them this message of hope and encouragement. Zechariah encouraged the people to complete the rebuilding project by giving them a vision of the Messiah who would come to this temple and bring salvation to the people.

When leaders stop learning their leadership becomes less effective. Read Zechariah 1:2-6.

Like Haggai, his older contemporary, Zechariah was a post exilic prophet who led the people from 520-480 B.C. Zechariah gave the people many visions but he had only one priority and that was for the people to finish the temple. Concerned about the exiles’ apathetic response to finishing the temple, Zechariah shared his visions to encourage the people in their rebuilding project and give them hope in a future King and His eternal kingdom.