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.

Effective leaders have an intelligent awareness of current events and their relationship to the future. Read Joel 1-3.

Very little is known about the prophet Joel. It is believed he wrote the book of Joel approximately 835 BC. Joel’s message is directed at the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. From his writing Joel appears to have been educated, well-read and familiar with the teachings of Micah, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. Joel effectively used a massive locust infestation that occurred during his lifetime as a word picture; utilizing a natural disaster to underscore the message of repentance to avoid a similar surprising and terrifying judgment by God. God’s assignment to Joel was to awaken the people of Judah from their spiritual apathy and provoke them to repentance and a return to Him.

God-honoring leadership requires humility and a clear understanding that it is God who promotes one and demotes another. Read Hosea 11:1-4 and 12:1-9.

Through the prophet Hosea, God reminded the people in ancient Israel that He was responsible for their prosperity. He reminded them that He is the one who raises one up and tears another down. The foolishness of the people of Israel is clearly stated in 11:3 when it says, “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.” The height of human arrogance is to assume they are responsible for their own success when all human history shows God protected, cared for, and prospered them.

God-honoring leaders will exhibit the courage to address problems whether they are found in the janitor’s closet or the Boardroom. Read Ezekiel 28:1-10.

When Judah and Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians as part of God’s judgment many of the counties around Judah were joyful. Their pride swelled in their god to see the God of the Jews dishonored when His city and His temple were destroyed. God instructed Ezekiel to prophesy concerning His punishment of these nations because of their hatred of the Jews and Him as their God. One of the nations that Ezekiel prophesied against was Tyre, maybe the richest, safest nation in the entire Near East.