Do you know what makes your teammates excited about life? (115-2)

A wise leader relates to their team. Read Ezra 1:1-7.

King Cyrus of Persia understood how to relate to those in his kingdom. The Persian forces had conquered the nation of Babylon. Babylon had been a great power and at the height of their power they had captured Jerusalem and exiled most of the Jewish people living there to Babylon. Not only the Jews but many of the people that Cyrus now governed were exiles that the Babylonian army had relocated from their homeland. This potentially made Cyrus’ governance more difficult. As we have seen in modern days with the breakup of the Soviet block of nations, ethnicity and national loyalty are not easily forgotten. Cyrus could have had several exiled national groups resistant to his rule and his army could have been paralyzed battling internal rebellious people groups who were seeking their own identity.

Cyrus chose a non-military leadership strategy; he studied the needs and desires of each people group and related to them through their needs thus becoming a conquering hero rather than an enemy to be contended with. Leaders can learn some practical steps in relating to their team from Cyrus’ leadership:

• Cyrus valued what was most important to the people he led.
• Cyrus empowered a segment of the people group to return to their homeland and recommended that those staying behind become involved by financially supporting the return group. By getting involvement by the home and away team he gained both internal allies from those staying and allies on the kingdom’s fringe by the away team.
• Cyrus had enough humility to realize that each people group had a god and their desire was to serve their god before they served him. He realized the Jews served the one true God and that devout Jews lived to serve Him.
• Cyrus was knowledgeable of the needs of the people he led. He understood that the temple was the central focus of the Jews and allowed them to work on the most important element of their faith.
• Cyrus did not manipulate with idle promises but backed the effort of the Jews to return by giving them the symbols of their faith made of silver and gold and by issuing a decree to the current inhabitants of Jerusalem to support the builders.
• Cyrus communicated in terms that indicated he understood the one true God and the desires of the people.

Yesterday we looked at God as the ultimate leader. Lest I leave you with the wrong impression that through some kind of human wisdom Cyrus figured out how to manipulate history through his wisdom, look closely at verse 2 where Cyrus says, “He (God) has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.” Cyrus’ thoughts were directed by the ultimate leader – God.

Have you invested the effort to learn what makes your teammates excited about life? Have you ever prayed asking God to reveal how to connect with your team better? Have you asked God to give you a strategy that incorporates the needs of the organization with the elements that motivate individuals? Effective leaders relate with their teammate’s needs.