How To Be An Excellent Leader

Reading Through the Bible in 2010 (I Kings 12-14)

“Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

And they spoke to him saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” I Kings 12: 6-7

“Charlie,” I said, “I’d like your advice on a question I’ve been thinking about.”

My husband put down The Wall Street Journal and looked at me with a half smile, “Are you feverish?” he questioned.

“That’s not funny,” I replied, “You know I ask your opinion about lots of things.”

“That’s true.” He continued his bantering, “But asking advice and taking it are two different things.”

I smiled at him still enjoying his teasing after 45 years of marriage. Kicking off my shoes and putting my feet on the coffee table, I pressed on.

“You were in operations for many years. You were a mill manager with lots of people working for you. What is the best advice you could give about leadership? Tell me some things that you tried to do.”

“I Kings 12,” he said without hesitation. “That’s management 101!”

I leaned back on the sofa and smiled to myself because I actually knew that was what he would say. “Tell me, elaborate,” I urged.

“Well, you know the story. King Solomon had died and his son, Rehoboam was about to be the new king. The people of Israel gathered together and asked him to lighten the great tax load that his father had imposed on them during his lavish reign. Rehoboam said, “Give me three days to reply” and he went to the still living elders who had worked with Solomon. He asked these wisest of men how they would advise him to answer the people.

“Yes,” I said, “That’s right where I was reading today.”

“Well,” he continued, “The advice that they gave him can be applied to any leadership position. I read and reread these verses so many times and tried to apply them in my job."

“Be a servant to these people.” "I always found that if I showed those who were working for me that I wanted to help them succeed, they responded well because they knew I cared about them. Little things like helping them get the right resources to do their jobs are very important. Usually if you serve your employees, they will catch the vision and serve others.

“I think the rest of the advice of the elders is key, too. ..”serve them and answer them, and speak good words to them,” I tried to apply this and answer the questions my deputies asked. Taking time to listen and reply to their inquiries helped them to feel valued and respected.

Charlie went on, ““Speaking good words to them” is communication – giving them information about why the team is doing what it is. I always felt that if my employees had the same information that I did, they would probably make the same or even better decisions.

"You know," he said, "I think that a good word from a boss or leader is a great way to encourage people. When my boss said something complimentary or helpful to me, it showed me that he believed in me and in what I was doing. I would go a long way on those words.”

“then they will be your servants forever.” "It is a rare person who will leave a team that values and communicates with them,” he concluded.

“Charlie,” I said, “That’s why being married to you for forty five years seems like about forty five minutes. You do all those things to me – answer, speak, communicate good things! Yes, I'll be your servant forever!”

“Why,” I exclaimed now on a praise roll, “what more could I ask of a husband?”

He reached for his glasses, picked up his Wall Street Journal again and started to laugh. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll think of something soon. Isn’t this Sunday Mother’s Day?”

That’s a snippet of our life together.

I could go on about how Rehoboam also consulted the young men of the kingdom who told him not to listen to the people but to tax and burden them much more than King Solomon had. Rehoboam foolishly disregarded the advice of the wise men. After three days we are told that

“he answered the people roughly, and rejected the counsel which the elders had given him;

And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; “My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges.” I Kings 12:13-14.

As a result of his foolish choice, I Kings 12 is the turning point of the book of Kings. Rehoboam lost the support of the people as they rejected his leadership and turned to Jeroboam to be their new leader. The united kingdom of Israel became the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah. Remember the old saying, “United we conquer, divided we fall?” Israel had begun its fall.