2 Chronicles 17:1
“And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.”
Throughout the Scriptures you find many leadership principles that teach you how to successfully lead those whom God has given you to lead. When reading about the lives of the kings, you find several leadership mistakes from which leaders should learn. Though there is no way we can show all the leadership mistakes that we can learn from these kings, we can learn from some of the important ones.
One mistake that leaders make is thinking they can change weaker leaders. Jehoshaphat commonly made this mistake in his reign. He had the mentality that he was strong enough to change weaker people. Every leader must be careful not to overestimate their leadership abilities. If a weaker leader does not want your help, then you are not going to be able to help them. Many weak leaders must learn from their failures, and for you to step in and try to change them in worthless. Until a weaker leader asks for your help, it is best that you keep doing what your position demands of you.
Another mistake that leaders make is having weak unions. Again, this was one of the trademarks of Jehoshaphat’s reign to his detriment, he never seemed to get beyond this. As a leader, you must be very careful with whom you join forces. First, joining with the wrong forces can destroy the direction of future generations because they will see you yoking up with the wrong people, and they will assume you think they are good people. Second, when you join with the wrong forces, it will eventually influence you and your beliefs. This doesn’t mean that you need to destroy those who don’t believe like you, but it does mean that you need to be careful that you don’t join them for the bigger picture.
Another mistake leaders make is being jealous of others. Jehoram made this mistake, and it cost him his life. Just because you are the leader doesn’t mean that you have to get all the accolades. Many leaders become jealous of others getting credit, and their jealousy leads them to get rid of those people so they can receive all the credit. The problem with this is that you can push those who are helping you to succeed out, which eventually brings about your demise. As a leader, learn to share the spotlight with others, especially when they are part of the reason you succeeded in a certain area.
Another mistake leaders make is having the wrong counsellors. Ahaziah chose the wrong counsellors, and it destroyed him. From whom you choose to get counsel will ultimately determine your philosophies. Choose counsellors wisely. Only choose counsellors who have proven what they believe, and don’t choose counsellors who don’t have their own beliefs settled.
Finally, another mistake leaders make is overconfidence. Uzziah did right, which established his kingdom, but he became overconfident once he succeeded. Don’t let overconfidence destroy you. Always remember that once you’ve succeeded, you must keep doing what brought about your success. Don’t become overconfident and think that success will continue because of who you are.
These leadership mistakes should be avoided by all. Any one of these mistakes can destroy you and what you’re leading. Be careful to avoid these tragic mistakes so that others don’t have to pay the price for your bad decisions.