John Stanko

"Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people" - Proverbs 28:15.

There are two similes used in today's verse to describe a terrible leader. Anyone who encounters either animal in their described posture would experience a rush of fear and that is exactly what wicked leaders use to lead and control their followers. Fear naturally exists between leaders and followers, and poor leaders exploit that fear to control and manipulate others. When people live or function in fear, they cannot produce their best work, express their creativity, or take calculated risks. Those wicked leaders have no idea what they lose when they create an atmosphere of fear and some simply don't care, for it's usually all about them and what they want and not at all about the people who follow.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Remember when you were a child and told that the principal wanted to see you? Were you happy? Did you think, "Good, I have wanted to talk to her about some changes around here"? No, you were probably terrified! That is the fear that naturally exists between leader and follower. What Steps can you take to lessen that fear in your current work or ministry relationships? Do some offsite social meetings? Have an open-door policy? Do some team-building exercises?