When a leader has the respect of their team, their team will accept their vision. Read John 2:1-11.

A number of men, some of whom would eventually become part of His inner circle of 12 Apostles, had joined Jesus in His mission even before His first public miracle at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. These men were committed to Him and left their profession and accompanied Him as He traveled around northern Israel, but, according to verse 11, it was after He turned the water into wine that “His disciples put their faith in Him.” An important leadership principle is, “When a team trusts in a leader’s credibility, they will believe in that leader’s vision.”

The wise leader seeks to move the team from leadership consumers to leadership contributors. Read Mark 8:1-21.

For the second time Jesus had fed a large crowd, this time in excess of 4,000. Jesus was teaching His disciples that God could provide a lot of food from a few loaves of bread and some small fish. A much deeper lesson came later when they realized that this miracle was just an example of how God provides for all their needs. This second level of understanding was critical for Jesus’ disciples to become leaders after His death.

Every leader will face times when those around them will not accept their leadership and their only option is to move on. Read Matthew 13:53-58.

When, in the course of His public ministry, Jesus went to His hometown and preached in the synagogue the people were first amazed that someone from their hometown had such wisdom but soon their familiarity with His growing up years and His family that still lived in that area undermined their excitement about His words. They refused to see Him as anything but a carpenter’s son. When this conflict arose, Jesus assessed the situation, recognized that the opposition had their mind made up and would not be convinced, and He moved on to a place where His message was more effective.

When a leader stands with God, their position will be secure. Read Jeremiah 15:15-21.

Jeremiah acted with courage to deliver God’s message no matter how unpopular the message or how threatening the crowd. Jeremiah delivered God’s truths even when he had to stand completely alone in opposition to powerful leaders. Jeremiah asked God to remember the stand he took. Jeremiah paid a price for his stance:

Godly leaders, who have authority over others, understand the need for justice in their decisions and actions. Read Isaiah 10:1-4.

Isaiah conveys God’s word and presents a serious admonition to leaders who treat followers unjustly. God’s stern condemnation stands as a severe warning to oppressive and unjust leaders; He is pictured in verse four with His hand raised up to deliver His judgment on such leaders.