Leaders must at times use exhortation to help their teammates become the people God designed them to be. Read Haggai 2:10-14.

After 70 years of Babylonian exile, God has allowed a contingent of Jews to return to Jerusalem to inhabit the land and re-construct the temple destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B. C. The construction began with great enthusiasm but had stopped. Through His prophet Haggai, God exhorted the civil and religious authorities to stop continually working on their houses and vineyards and once again begin construction on the temple. Haggai pointed out that, by removing activity that honored God’s first priority, the people had deprived themselves of God’s blessing on the project.

When leaders are willing to confront difficult issues they will win the respect of their team. Read Zephaniah 2:4-15.

Zephaniah not only brought a message of judgment to Judah but in chapter 2 prophecies what lies ahead for Philistia, Moab, Cush, and Assyria. Not everyone agreed with Zephaniah’s judgment of Judah but even in the midst of disagreement on this topic he gained credibility among the people because he confronted difficult issues. He named people groups and named their sin.

Leaders who exhort their team to a higher moral level serve the organization well. Read Jonah 3:6-9.

When the city of Nineveh got the news of Jonah’s message concerning God’s judgment and the impending demise of the nation that would follow, the king of Nineveh immediately repented. He took off his royal robes and put on clothing made of rough burlap-like material called sackcloth and sat in a pile of ashes to demonstrate his total humility before God. He first repented of his own sin and then used his influence to bring about a city-wide revival. The king of Nineveh used his position to exhort the people to change the moral climate of the entire nation. When God saw his response, He had compassion on the Ninevites and did not destroy the city.

There will be times when leaders need to make the hard decisions and correct their organization’s direction despite the high cost to the team. Read Amos 4:1-12.

The people of Israel had gone too far. They continually ignored the core values God had established and demanded His people to live by and had no remorse for violating the established standards. Chapter four speaks of their hard hearts and their lack of any desire to return to God. Through Amos God informs the people that even though He is a God of love and mercy, the time has come where He must demonstrate His wrath. From the first words of the chapter there is not doubt of His intent when God identifies the women of Israel as “…cows of Bashan…who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to their husbands, ‘Bring us some drinks.’” This statement held no promise of a pleasant encounter.

Like it or not, confrontation is a part of effective leadership. Read Hosea 6:1-7:16.

Hosea prophesied to the people of Israel during a time of prosperity, just prior to the nation’s collapse and defeat by the Assyrian army confronting them over a lifestyle and value system that violated their covenant with God. Hosea described the leaders this way in verse three, “They delight the king with their wickedness, the princes with their lies.” Hosea’s confrontation of these leaders took courage and came at great personal cost.