People are a Leader’s Greatest Resource

(Prov 14:28 GNB) A king's greatness depends on how many people he rules; without them he is nothing.

This is an interesting verse because Solomon, a man who was a sitting king, talks about the mark of a great king. He obviously knew a thing or two about ruling. He reigned over his kingdom with Godly wisdom. Since the hand of God was on his life, Israel prospered mightily during his tenure. Under his rule, there was no national debt, but rather an exceeding surplus. His crowning achievement was the building of God’s temple. The temple project took over seven years and over a billion dollars to complete. To get it done Solomon employed over 200,000 workers and he even had to partner with other nations to bring in expertise that his citizens did not have.

And what about his house? Solomon had a palace built him to live in that was so beautiful that when the queen of Sheba (a queen in her own right; who lived in a palace herself) came to visit king Solomon and she saw his house, and the excellence that his servants operated in, it literally took her breath away. The Bible says, “she was left breathless” (1st Kings 10:5).

I share all of this with you so you can better understand who is speaking and so you can see how awesome Solomon’s words for this morning are. Even with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with being a king, even with all the money and notoriety that Solomon operated with and in, and even with all the lavishness and grandeur behind his vision for the temple of God and his own house, at the end of the day, Solomon was clear that he was nothing without the people.

A king without subjects is not really a king at all. The Message Bible makes it plain; it reads: “The mark of a good leader is loyal followers; leadership is nothing without a following.” The true glory of a king is not in what he was, but rather in what his people have. A Godly leader is more focused on giving than getting. A Godly leader understands that development, not dictatorship, is the mark of a great leader.

Solomon knew that many kings were so caught up in the ceremonial “glory” of being royalty that they lost true concern for the well being of their people. However, he knew that the true “glory” behind the throne was the ability to make a positive impact in the lives of others. To have a populous kingdom was a sign that the king was ruling well. He created an environment for his citizens that was so good that it caused strangers to want to come and setup their lives under his leadership.

Make no mistake; the people did not have to live under the rule of any particular king. If the king did not rule well and if he did not promote the well being of his people, then they could simply move to another kingdom. This has many applications, especially in the spiritual realm, but for the sake of time, I will stop here for today.

So what does this mean to you ? It means people are a leader’s greatest resource. Whether you are leading a large corporation with a multi-million dollar budget, or a family with a modest budget, at the end of the day, it comes down to people. If you lead people and you have a genuine concern for the well being of those you lead, it will be evident and others will flock to you for your leadership, wisdom and insight. But if you mistreat people, if you have no regard for them as individuals, and if you care only about yourself, it will only be a matter of time before you realize that you are a leader at all, because no one will be following you.

Father, I thank You for blessing me to progress to positions of leadership. As You elevate me and bless me to be in position to lead others, I declare, by faith, that I will never mistreat Your people. I understand that a leader is nothing with the led. So thank You Father, for giving me the insight and wisdom to lead with vision, clarity, courage, and compassion.

Father as You pour into me, I will pour into all those You bless me to lead. While I might enjoy the perks that come with being in a position of leadership, I will not allow my focus to be skewed. I keep my focus on people, because I understand that people are a leader’s greatest resource. Use me to be a blessing to those that I lead! In Jesus’ name. Amen!