In the Bible, the book of Proverbs reads like a manual for dealing with people. It should be on every leaders list of “must read” material every year. I recommend that you pick a month with 31 days and read a chapter a day each day that month. As the Proverbs unfold, among other great advice, leaders will find a recurring theme, they should pray for growth in wisdom, common sense, good judgment, knowledge and understanding. Today our study shows the application of wisdom by a leader that we can all learn from. Read 2 Samuel 20:14-22.

As the people were re-establishing David as king following the defeat of his son’s attempted overthrow of his government, “…a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, ‘We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!’ So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri” (20:1-2a). David knew a split in the nation between his tribe, Judah, and his predecessor Saul’s tribe of Benjamin would do more harm than the rebellion of his own son so when David returned to the palace in Jerusalem he summoned the commander of the army and sent him after Sheba to put down this revolt with force.

Even the most fair, consistent leaders will have situations when jealousy among their teammates changes the dynamic of their team. When a leader has been fair and consistent in their actions toward the team, they can generally restore order by fair and just application of the established practices, policies, and procedures. If the proper team is in place, the team order is restored because consistent behavior and fairness cannot easily be questioned without someone openly showing greed or selfishness that sets them apart as the culprit. However, add any inconsistent behavior on the part of the leader and the situation has the potential to be blown out of proportion and teammates will react in ways that destroy team unity. Read 2 Samuel 19:9-20 and 19:38-20:2.

Absalom, the king’s son who led the rebellion against David, was dead and it was obvious to all the tribes of Israel that David was still God’s choice as king and firmly in a position of power. The tribes that had supported Absalom knew they needed to do something to demonstrate loyalty to David or face potential retaliation for their rebellion so they determined to send a delegation to escort the king from exile back to the palace in Jerusalem. When David heard about the intentions of the rebellious tribes he sent word to leaders of Judah, his tribe, and suggested they join the others in escorting him back to the capitol.

Every leader will experience some success and some failure. It seems God allows this both for our good and our development as the person needed to fulfill His plan. Some leaders will experience overpowering situations and great brokenness on their way to becoming the leader God wants them to be. Our reaction to being totally broken will determine how God uses us when we are restored to more normal situations. Read 2 Samuel 18:19-33.

In the Maxwell Leadership Bible, John Maxwell discusses this topic in his notes on Brokenness.

The term “building alliances” seems to be replaced in today’s language by the term “networking.” Whether you use the term alliances or network, effective leaders pay attention to this function of leadership. Read 2 Samuel 15:32-36 and 16:15-17:23.

David used his resources to help others succeed. He genuinely befriended people and repaid loyalty. Because of these things he had loyal friends who were willing to invest their resources in his continued success.

Every human being has leadership responsibility. Sometimes the sphere of influence is as small as our personal life or our family but the same principles apply for successful leadership at every level. Read 2 Samuel 16:1-18; 18.

It is hard to find a more tragic case study in the Bible of leadership-gone-bad than the story of David’s son Absalom. For all of David’s strengths as a leader, he failed as a leader in his own home. We see no indication from what is written in the Bible, that as a father, David helped Absalom acquire a heart for God.