Characteristics of Leadership (Part 2)

 Proverbs 30:29-31

The first lesson in this series was ended by looking at a king “against whom there is no rising up”. In that lesson we defined this as a king that rules so well and is highly favored so that no one would want to rise up against him. In this lesson we are going to continue this thought by looking at some of the things that are said in the book of Proverbs regarding kings and ruling well. These things said about kings can be applied to any type of leadership whether it be our home, jobs, ministry etc.

Somethings Kings must do to rule well:

1) Let God Direct (Proverbs 21:1)

• From this verse we see that God directs the hearts of kings to accomplish his purpose.
• We can use the thought from our verse that as leaders we must be flexible to the leadership of God (Proverbs 3:5-6).

2) Watch your Words (Proverbs 16:10)

• What you say, especially in the world of social media, is so important today. But this is even more true for those who are leaders.
• Note the value of a word fitly spoken (Proverbs 25:11) as well as the value of saying nothing at all (Proverbs 17:28).
• We must remember that words can never be unspoken.

3) Do Right (Proverbs 16:12)

• This seems simple but for leaders this is especially important. Not too many people get upset when children, averages workers, or church members mess up. But when parents, bosses, or pastors do wrong it is always a bigger deal.
• Note the passage is connecting doing right to judgement. In a position of leadership, you must be fair and just when it comes to judgement (Proverbs 29:4)

4) Keep your Eyes Open (Proverbs 20:8)

• The king scatters away evil by having is eyes open and knowing what is going on in his kingdom.
• As parents, bosses, pastors or any type of leader we must do the same thing (Proverbs 27:23)

5) Search Out a Matter (Proverbs 25:2)

• We cannot react without hearing both sides, we must get facts before we react or pass judgment (Proverbs 18:13)

6) Have Mercy and Truth (Proverbs 20:28)

• Remember God showed mercy everywhere he could and only showed judgment when he had to.

7)  Your Honor is in the Multitude of the People (Proverbs 14:28)

• To me this is a great verse for leadership. It is not how many people you lead but how well fed and cared for the people you lead are.
• Honor is not in the multitude of people, but in the multitude of the The “the” is extremely important in that thought.