BOSSY LEADERS OFTEN FAIL TO LISTEN TO REASON

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. – I Kings 12:8

It is prudent for leaders to move people into action by first moving them with emotion. Leaders who make themselves the cock of the walk often wrestle with influencing people to rise to a challenge. Most times, they show traits of unwillingness to put themselves in other people’s shoes. Hence, they make decisions that put a strain on their team and get them overly tied up with tasks. To top it off, they squash the gray matter of the key deep thinkers in their team, which give rise to poor decision making. But the leader who keeps an open door policy, encourages people to express their concerns and weigh in with insightful solution to problems, stands a better position to influence his team and get their buy-in towards his vision.

King Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon, was a typical example of a bossy leader who failed to listen to reason. His father had placed a strain on the Israelites with heavy taxation. So, when he ascended the throne, he followed in the footstep of his father: he thought it unwise to cut down the tax obligation of the people. Hence, when he was approached by the Israelites to alleviate their tax burden, he squashed their proposal. The offshoot of his decision lead to the division of his kingdom. His draconian law and legislation towards governance made him to shoot himself in the foot. He wasn’t able to get the buy-in of the Israelites because he turned a defeat hear to their hue and cry.

But when you consider the account of Moses and Jethro, his father-in-law, you will discover that Moses listened to Jethro’s wise counsel in administering the Law of the Lord (Exodus 18). Moses had been overburdening himself with the task of teaching and interpreting the Law. All the Israelites besieged him day and night to get a handle on the Law. Unlike King Rehoboam who failed to listen to the counsel of the elders of Israel on the downward review of the fiscal policy of Israel, Moses embraced the counsel of Jethro. The outcome of his willingness to listen to reason resulted in great relief for him and also the raising of new leaders to bring the Law of the Lord into focus. Hence, I pray as you listen to reason with graceful insight, may the Lord multiple your accomplishments and make you a spring of eternal blessing in Jesus name.