Often a leader’s success can be created by simply doing what no one else is willing to do. Read Proverbs 31:10-31.

In many situations people know what to do but are too tired or afraid or apathetic to act. That’s when a self-disciplined leader who is equally tired, equally afraid steps forward and does what needs to be done. A person with self-discipline will provide leadership when others simply refuse to act.

An individual takes on responsibilities beyond themselves once they assume a leadership role. Read Proverbs 31:4-5.

In a free country it seems leaders’ lifestyle decisions should be theirs and theirs alone. Yet, according to Proverbs 31:4-5 the leader has responsibilities that are too important to undermine with a foolish lifestyle.

A leader has tremendous influence over their team. Read Proverbs 29:2-18.

In day two we looked at how leaders’ decisions can cause their team to thrive or groan under their leadership. Today we take a deeper look at the same issue based on notes in The Maxwell Leader Bible:

Wise leaders recognize that their actions toward one individual or one part of their organization have the potential to affect everyone in their sphere of influence and in all the parts of their organization. Read Proverbs 29:2.

A leader’s decision made in one office can make people thrive or groan on the opposite side of the building and throughout the organization. The people’s reaction has to do with the character behind the decisions of the leader. I like the plain wording of the Living Bible for this verse, “With good men in authority, the people rejoice; but with the wicked in power they groan.” As the leader it is your basic outlook on life and your core value system that determines your decisions. It is the decisions that chart direction and policy that has your team rejoicing or groaning under your authority.

A wise leader is straightforward and genuine when solving difficult personnel conflicts. Read Proverbs 28:23.

In my experience few problems are more difficult to resolve than personnel conflicts. According to verse 23, written by Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, the best way to handle difficult conflicts is to approach the problem in a straight forward way. When a leader is honest about the problem the solution is easier to discover.