“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” Proverbs 9:10.

A text note in Zondervan’s Leadership Bible states, “Leaders are effective to the extent they can gather, interpret, understand and apply good information. The processes cannot function fully when God’s power and sovereignty are not given appropriate respect. This verse tells us that nothing has higher priority for understanding reality and acting on it than standing in awe of Almighty God.” Read more »

Every leader will serve as an example to those in their sphere of influence. Review 1 Samuel 1-8 and focus on 4:1 and 3:19-20.

Samuel’s influence just kept growing. Samuel, under God’s leadership and with His authority, had the authority to anoint two kings and remove one from power. Samuel’s example to the people was that he exhorted, he affirmed, he corrected, he prophesied, he reminded and he taught. His life-long example had such tremendous impact that when he died all Israel gathered to mourn his loss (25:1). Read more »

Through a set of very unfortunate circumstances Naomi became the leader of her family. She had a choice to become bitter or trust God. She made the right choice and drew others to God. Re-read the book of Ruth.

Naomi, her husband and two sons left Jerusalem in Judah and went to Moab to avoid the results of a famine. Her husband died shortly after the move and Naomi is left to live with her two sons and their Moabite wives for the next ten years. After the untimely death of her two sons, Naomi was left very vulnerable as a widow with two daughters-in-law in a foreign land and no male in the extended family. Read more »

To build trust, a leader must exemplify three qualities: competence, connection and character. People will forgive an occasional mistake based on ability, especially if they can see that you’re still growing as a leader, but they won’t trust someone who slips in character. If a leader has an occasional lapse in character, it is lethal. No leader can break trust with their people and expect to keep influencing them. Trust makes leadership possible. Read Judges 13:24 – 16:31.

In The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Maxwell looks at Samson and the Law of Solid Ground. Read more »

Sometimes very unlikely candidates can become influential leaders. People do not exclusively follow leaders because they have influential, attractive personality traits but because they have relevant gifts. Read Judges 11:1-31.

Jephthah was Israel’s ninth judge. He was born the son of a harlot, driven out of his home and stripped of his inheritance by his father’s wife’s sons and had to flee the land to escape from his brothers, yet, 11:1 calls him a “mighty warrior.” Read more »