Every leader will experience the joy and challenge of assuming a new position at some point during their leadership life. Read 1 Kings 2 and 3.

Israel was in a time of transition from David’s leadership to Solomon’s leadership. David had built on his predecessor Saul’s accomplishments and the nation had tremendous wealth, military power, respect and momentum. The time of transition from one leader to another presents one of the most challenging times to continue momentum. The challenge was to successfully take the reins from his father and ensure momentum continued through a smooth transition.

Leaders need wisdom to make informed and judicious decisions. We tend to think wisdom is something gained only through years of experience and to some extent this is true. If a leader pays attention and learns from successes and failures they will make better decisions based on experience and display a form of wisdom. But there is more to gaining wisdom than experience. Read 1 Kings 3.

Solomon had just become king of Israel taking over from his father David. He had big shoes to fill and like it or not would be evaluated and judged by his first decisions. A young man without experience being held to the standard of excellence of an experienced wise leader! Only a man endowed with God’s wisdom from the first days of his reign would have the ability to succeed in this situation.

Leaders will leave a legacy. The question is will it be viewed as positive or negative by those who follow behind. Read 1 Kings 2:5-6 and 28-34.

Abner and Joab were both military leaders. Both were relatives of the kings they served. Their careers and their characters, however, present a sharp contrast.

Abner was a competent military leader, but his loyalty was to Saul, a ruler whose disobedience to God guaranteed his failure as God’s chosen king of Israel. No matter how hard Abner fought, no matter how skillful his leadership, Abner was on the wrong side.

Leadership takes on many forms as an organization grows or downsizes, as its climate and environment change. What remains constant is the moral base required of the leadership. Read 1 Kings 1:1-9.

Maybe you have experienced what Solomon experienced stepping into his leadership role. He was about to assume leadership after the greatest leader in Israel’s history. The expectation of the people concerning performance of their leaders was high. David had set the standard for their expectations over the last 40 years so an entire generation knew Israel as a great nation with leaders revered by all the nations around them. The inner circle of leaders that had received orders from the great King David would now be receiving orders from an 18-year-old and those first decisions would become a first impression that had the potential to form an opinion of Solomon’s abilities that would last throughout his reign. The neighboring nations were sure that no nation could find another leader with David’s skill so they were hoping for a lesser man. Sounds like a no win situation for Solomon.

There are several actions a leader can take to pass leadership to a successor they have chosen to take their place. Read 1 Kings 1:28-40.

Transitions in leadership often cause significant problems for groups and organizations. David planned for his son Solomon’s succession but failed to adequately communicate this to others. As a result, his son, Adonijah, attempted to take the throne when he saw that his father could no longer rule. It is one thing to plan ahead but another to communicate these plans to others who will be affected by them.