A leader’s character is obvious even to those who may not agree with their values, leadership style or philosophy. Read Luke 20:19-26.

As Jesus became more widely known among the people of Judea He drew the attention of some of the religious leaders who felt threatened by His popularity with the people. Much like what happens in an election year in America, the first order of business by Jesus’ opponents was to discredit Him before the crowds. Individuals were sent with specific questions that were designed to entrap Jesus. Interesting that they prefaced their questions with “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth…” God-honoring leaders demonstrate such integrity with their character that even those seeking to do them harm can’t discredit their example.

Even the most fair, consistent leaders will have situations when jealousy among their teammates changes the dynamic of their team. When a leader has been fair and consistent in their actions toward the team, they can generally restore order by fair and just application of the established practices, policies, and procedures. If the proper team is in place, the team order is restored because consistent behavior and fairness cannot easily be questioned without someone openly showing greed or selfishness that sets them apart as the culprit. However, add any inconsistent behavior on the part of the leader and the situation has the potential to be blown out of proportion and teammates will react in ways that destroy team unity. Read 2 Samuel 19:9-20 and 19:38-20:2.

Absalom, the king’s son who led the rebellion against David, was dead and it was obvious to all the tribes of Israel that David was still God’s choice as king and firmly in a position of power. The tribes that had supported Absalom knew they needed to do something to demonstrate loyalty to David or face potential retaliation for their rebellion so they determined to send a delegation to escort the king from exile back to the palace in Jerusalem. When David heard about the intentions of the rebellious tribes he sent word to leaders of Judah, his tribe, and suggested they join the others in escorting him back to the capitol.

Proverbs 16:11 (tlb) says, “The Lord demands fairness in every business deal. He established this principle.” Effective leaders live by this standard. Read 1 Samuel 30:1-25.

David and his men returned home from a military effort to find their homes burned, their possessions stolen and their families kidnapped. David asked the Lord what he should do and God gave David assurance that he would be able to overtake the perpetrators and get his family and possessions back. During the pursuit approximately one third of the men could no longer keep up the pace so the other two thirds stripped off their extra gear to lighten their load, left it with those that could not go on and moved quickly to get their families and possessions back. Just as God had foretold, they did catch up to the raiders, defeated them and took back their possessions and families.

The issue of impartial leadership is critical for effective leadership. It is natural to want family or good friends in our leadership world but there are some potential problems leaders should take into consideration. Read 1 Samuel 2:12-17 and 22-36.

In The Maxwell Leadership Bible, John Maxwell writes about Eli’s Leadership: Success as a Priest, Not as a Parent.