Do you have someone to whom you are accountable? (93-1)

Effective leaders use the same standards for themselves that they apply to others. They hold themselves accountable just like everyone else on the team. Maintaining such accountability involves seeking 360-degree honesty. Skilled leaders consistently receive feedback from those who work above them, beside them, and for them. Failure to provide a structure for such accountability will lead to a crisis of character and leadership. Read 2 Samuel 11.

David is a different man in 2 Samuel than we have seen previously. Somewhere along the way, he decided he didn’t need to be accountable to either God or his men in order to lead well. He no longer prepared for new challenges. When leaders stop voluntarily making themselves accountable, they stop succeeding.

The sad story of David’s dealings not only with Bathsheba, but also with her husband Uriah, one of his thirty mighty men and closest friends, illustrates how even the greatest leaders can succumb in a moment of weakness to betrayal, adultery, treachery, and murder. Having committed these acts, David then attempted a cover-up.

David was a king that had it all. He enjoyed an intimate walk with God, a family, a stable political position, and an unbroken string of military victories. The one thing he didn’t have was Uriah’s wife. And that is what he wanted. While the rest of his army was at war, he stayed home. Apparently, no officer or other leader dared to question his wisdom or his decision. With no one holding him accountable he drifted in his thinking all the way to justifying adultery and eventually murder to cover his tracks.

The most important verse in Chapter 11 is verse 27. David could hide his sins from those around him but he could not hide his actions from God. The tragedy of King David underscores what can happen when leaders fail to create a structure in which they are answerable for how they spend their private and professional time. Ultimately, as He did with David, God will hold every leader accountable.

Wise leaders recognize their own vulnerability to fall and don’t wait for a crisis to establish accountability. They establish structures and relationships that harness their sin and unleash their potential. Do you practice 360-degree honesty? Do you have someone to whom you are accountable for your private and professional life?