Are you diligent in doing good and in encouraging your team to do likewise? (134-1)

An effective form of communication used in the Proverbs is juxtaposing the lifestyles of two opposites. Leaders can learn a lot from the comparison of the ant from the insect world with the human sluggard. Read Proverbs 6:6-11.

Every leader is probably familiar with the instinctive work habits of the ant to gather and store food during the summer months so they have enough to survive during the winter, but leaders may not be as familiar with the word “sluggard.” The dictionary definition is someone that is lazy; somebody who avoids work or physical exertion.

To develop a better understanding of how King Solomon used sluggard in the proverbs we can look at Proverbs 20:4, “A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.” And Proverbs 22:13, “The sluggard says, ‘there is a lion outside!’ or ‘I will be murdered in the streets.’” Not only is a sluggard lazy but they find excuses for their laziness that can be irrational.

The teammate that proves to be a sluggard does nothing to meet the needs of their assignments and does nothing for the world around them. They find creative ways to get others to absorb their assignments and leave the world around them unchanged except for pillaging some of its resources. Effective leaders must identify and deal with the sluggards in their organization.

Sluggards can be very intelligent and charming, are often well liked and disarming so it is not always easy to identify a sluggard or to hold a sluggard accountable. One proven effective way to identify individuals that are abusing the system is through a performance review process where goals are clearly defined and checkpoints established to allow for accurate evaluation of actual accomplishments. Once checkpoints are established, a leader must follow through to continually monitor progress against them and take decisive corrective action if goals are not being met because specific individuals did not give the required effort.

The wise leader does not monitor checkpoints to micro-manage but to help a sluggard become a valued, productive member of the team. The desired outcome is to help your teammate overcome a life habit fostered through years of little or no accountability. If after a legitimate effort to help, a sluggard will not change or vigorously resists change the individual must be removed from the team for their own good and the good of the team.

Wise leaders know their time is limited and misused time can’t be retrieved. Christian leaders must remain diligent in doing good and in encouraging their team to do likewise.