A leader’s character is obvious even to those who may not agree with their values, leadership style or philosophy. Read Luke 20:19-26.

As Jesus became more widely known among the people of Judea He drew the attention of some of the religious leaders who felt threatened by His popularity with the people. Much like what happens in an election year in America, the first order of business by Jesus’ opponents was to discredit Him before the crowds. Individuals were sent with specific questions that were designed to entrap Jesus. Interesting that they prefaced their questions with “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth…” God-honoring leaders demonstrate such integrity with their character that even those seeking to do them harm can’t discredit their example.

A leader’s vision must always be credible—in the good times and when things get difficult. Read Mark 8:31-33.

Throughout His ministry Jesus inspired His team with His vision for both the present and the future. He consistently described the character and conduct that would define the citizens of the Kingdom of God. His vision energized His team to leave everything they had to follow Him. His team applied the skills, talents, and resources acquired over a lifetime to see Jesus’ vision become a reality. They believed that if Jesus’ vision became a reality the world would be a more desirable place. Even when Jesus talked about His death and the very difficult things that lay ahead for Him, He did it as part of His overall vision.

The effective leader understands the value and dangers of exhortation. Read Mark 6:14-29.

John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and friend had publicly exhorted King Herod saying “It is unlawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herod’s response was to have John imprisoned. Herodias, the wife in question, responded by nursing a grudge! Ultimately, Herodias, through her daughter, got her chance to publicly exhort Herod to kill John and, socially backed into a corner before his friends, Herod had John executed. Lest we be too hard on King Herod, most leaders written about in the Bible responded unfavorably to prophetic exhortation or rebuke. How a leader responds to exhortation says a lot about their character or lack of character.

A leader’s lasting value is ultimately measured by the legacy they leave. Read Matthew 28:16-20.

Jesus had completed His earthly mission. He had fulfilled every prophecy of Scripture concerning His birth, life, death, and resurrection and was preparing to return to the Father. As He gave His final instructions to His team He told them to lead as He had, with the future in mind, making sure they trained leaders that would carry on the mission after they were gone. He asked them to take an approach to leadership that would leave a legacy.

Day 2 – A leader’s character is forged as much in failure as in success. Read Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75 and John 21:1-19.

When Jesus was arrested and standing trial before the Jewish religious leaders, Peter, one of His closest friends and a trusted disciple, was standing with others outside the court chambers to listen to the proceedings. Peter had promised Jesus he would stand by Him no matter the circumstance but now, when the powerful religious leaders were seeking to destroy Jesus and anyone that associated with Him, his character was facing a serious challenge. When the others outside the court chamber bluntly asked Peter if he was one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter denied it and even denied ever knowing Jesus. Peter’s character failed in just about every way possible. In His great love for Peter, God used even Peter’s horrific denial of Christ to help him develop the strong character he would need to lead the early church.