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.

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.

God often requires leaders to reconcile difficult relationships. Read Hosea 2:1- 3:3.

Hosea’s leadership task, assigned to him by God, was to predict the Northern Kingdom’s exile and later restoration. In order to illustrate God’s message that He loved Israel, an unfaithful, covenant breaking people, Hosea was asked to marry a prostitute. Hosea obeyed God’s command and married Gomer only to have his heart broken when Gomer proved unfaithful and eventually left him. Later, Hosea was asked to seek out Gomer, an emotionally broken, financially destitute, unhappy person and forgive her and restore their marriage relationship. Hosea’s love for Gomer was meant to be a picture of God’s love for an unfaithful people.

Because a leader is godly doesn’t mean they have to be dogmatic and inflexible. Read Daniel 1.

Daniel lived in Jerusalem and his family was part of the nobility in Judah. He was a teenager when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, captured the city of Jerusalem for the second time. He was taken as an exile to Babylon along with King Jehoiakim of Judah and several thousand others. Nebuchadnezzar took them to teach Judah a lesson concerning rebellion against Babylon. When the captives arrived in Babylon, the guards determined that Daniel had a physical appearance and aptitude that qualified him for a special training program which had the potential to put him into the service of the king.

Leaders must manage conflict to develop teamwork among those on their team. Read Ezekiel 37:15-28.

This Messianic passage describes God’s ideal for what leadership is to accomplish. Ezekiel enacts a symbol. Two sticks, representing the southern and northern kingdoms of Israel (Judah and Joseph being the chief tribes, respectively), are joined to form one stick, symbolizing the unity of the nation of Israel on its return to the homeland. These verses contain several references to peace and unity. Tribes that butted heads often during Israel’s history will have their conflict end. When conflict management works as it will in the Messianic Kingdom tensions are released, there is mutual understanding, and teamwork flourishes.