What does it take to be a winner? (114-4)

Have you ever thought about what separates the leaders who achieve victory from those who suffer defeat? What does it take to be a winner? Winning is an inside job. The leader that achieves is the one that first wins the internal battles. Re-read 2 Chronicles 34 and 35.

Josiah remained faithful to his covenant with God throughout his entire life. Some elements of leadership we can learn from Josiah:

• Josiah demonstrated from his early years that he was teachable. Leaders who remain willing to learn and open to change put themselves in a position to win.
• Josiah faced and overcame the problems of the past. Josiah swept the country clean of idols – false gods. Effective leaders deal with the baggage of the past. That baggage may be in the form of ineffective traditions, incompetent team members or errors in judgment that continue to paralyze forward progress, etc.
• Josiah did whatever it took to see success. He gave of his own personal wealth to repair the temple and he gave cattle, lambs and young goats for the Passover offering so even the poor could honor God with an offering. Wise leaders know victory will carry with it a personal cost.
• Josiah discovered the key to victory – repentance. Once the Book of the Law was discovered and read, Josiah knew genuine personal and corporate repentance was needed if the nation was to be restored to God’s favor. Every leadership situation contains a key to victory. Effective leaders find the key to victory and focus their energy there.
• Josiah retained a personal commitment to succeed. Josiah’s personal commitment inspired the people to be faithful despite their evil desires.

Which elements of the inside battle are most difficult in your leadership life? If you have identified areas of weakness, pray God will direct you to information that will allow you to overcome in that area.