Biblical Leadership Advice

During my morning Bible study, I read a story from the Old Testament that spoke volumes on being a servant leadership. Yes, I’m one of those who read the Bible daily. While not an overly religious person, there is a lot of good stuff in that book. Good stuff that even non-believers would appreciate and find useful in their lives. Such as the lesson from 1 Kings 12. I’ll sum it up for you.

Rehoboam had just inherited the throne to become King of Israel. His people came to him and told him that the last King was a bit of a strict and demanding leader and they basically asked him to be a little kinder to them.

Wanting some council on this request, Rehoboam consulted the advisers of the old King. The old men recommended to the new King that he “lighten the yoke on his people” and serve them. They recommended that being a servient leader would earn his people’s loyalty.

The idea of being a servant to his people didn’t sound very appealing to Rehoboam, so he consulted with advisers of his age. They told him he should be much tougher and forceful on his people. They told him he should demand his people’s loyalty with an iron fist. This sounded like a better option to Rehoboam, so that’s what he did.

The result? The people revolted and his Kingdom crumbled.

This happens in business all the time, and in people’s personal lives too for that matter. If you are in a management role, being a Servant Leader builds true loyalty with your team. A Leader whose team members know that their leader has their back will get more done than a Manager to rules by orders, and ultimatums.

Now employees don’t revolt against a bad manager. But they do leave. Remember the saying: professionals don’t quit a job, they quit the management.

This concept is not just for a boss employee relationship in business. It applies equally in all business relationships. You want Customer Loyalty? Be loyal to your customers. You want Supplier Loyalty, be loyal to your suppliers. You want Employee Retention (Employee Loyalty)? You’ve guessed it, be loyal to your staff. The only true way to build loyalty is to serve.

This concept is nothing new. There are libraries of business books and countless other resources on this topic. This concept is so old, there are examples of it in our ancient world from thousands of years ago. Such as 1 Kings 12.