The perks of leadership are often far more appealing than the actual responsibilities of the position. How many times have you agreed to take on a position of leadership – big or small – only to get partway through the job and realize it wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be?  Throughout history, there have been far fewer leaders than followers.  And, of those leaders, even fewer have risen up to be great leaders.  Why?  Because leading is not for the faint of heart.  Great leadership requires humility and a whole lotta courage!

With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.

Psalm 78: 72

In their best selling book Whatever the Cost, brothers David and Jason Benham describe the path that led them to become nationally recognized real estate entrepreneurs.  They share in-depth principles that they believe led to their success and helped build them as effective leaders.  One of the most important principles they write about is responsibility.  “Authority follows responsibility.  The way to receive authority is to stand in your proper place of responsibility” (Benham, 2015).  In other words, the path to earning your way into proper positions of authority requires unwavering obedience in fulfilling your responsibilities along the way. Let me explain.

Much like the captain of a ship or aircraft is responsible for their crew, God expects us to look after what he’s placed under our care.  No excuses, plain and simple. In addition to their acumen, top leaders consistently accept responsibility in properly standing in their role as steward over what falls within their purview. In the same way, parents are responsible for their kids, educators are responsible for their students, doctors are responsible for their patients, etc.  All are stewards.  A good steward understands this role, is obedient to it, and assumes responsibility for anything that happens while on their watch.  It is this same commitment to responsibility that, when done over and over again in the small and mundane, move people toward higher roles of authority and success.  

Throughout the Bible, we find many accounts of leaders, both good and bad.  My mind immediately jumps to King David of the Old Testament.  He is notable to me because he rose from the humble ranks of a shepherd to the King of Israel simply through routine obedience to God and his responsibilities.  King David is also significant to me because he followed in the footsteps of the not-so-obedient King Saul!  Opposite of David’s kingship, King Saul’s reign was filled with hasty decision-making under pressure.  As weak leaders often do, he was impulsive and lacked discernment.  Oh…the importance of discernment!  Saul frequently caved to fears instilled in him by his peers and circumstances. Time after time, this led Saul to a place of partial or full disobedience to God and his responsibilities.  And when asked to answer for his actions, King Saul responded with the oldest technique in the book – the blame game.   

David, on the other hand, from the start entrusted himself and his decision-making to the Lord.  He wasn’t perfect, but he never questioned God’s authority or shied away from taking ownership of his responsibilities….as a shepherd of sheep and eventually of men! It is for that reason that he was promoted to and served as Israel’s king for over forty years!  Full obedience is critical to effective leadership.  You must be solid in your footing with God, and have a humble understanding of the enormity of leading others. The greater the responsibility, the greater the impact – both good and bad.  “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2)

The greatest mistake I see leaders make today is fearing opinions and/or circumstances over obedience to God and their responsibilities.  It is fatal to the effectiveness of leadership.  King Saul was no different. The same struggles existed then as they do today for humanity. Saul made the grave mistake of underestimating the authority that God had entrusted to him.  It created an insecurity in himself and compromised his ability to lead with confidence.  In the end, it cost him his life and the lives of others.

Today, more than ever, we need great leaders!  In what areas of your life are you in positions of leadership?  How can you lead without compromising your obedience to God and the task-at-hand?