Better Together: Follow the Leader In “A Tale of Two Cities,” Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” King David had been wise, heroic and had known success. He had also tasted depression and crushing despair. Let’s give him credit – he finished well. He lined things up to the best of his ability and he ended with a great legacy. As Israel’s leader, it was time for him to speak to his nation. He empowered his successor (his son, Solomon) to follow well.

Noted author John Maxwell claims, “Leadership is influence.” Effective leadership inspires us to do more than we could on our own. Leaders cast vision. They plan and prepare. Leaders unite people. Without leadership, we do our own thing. “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint but blessed is he who keeps the law.” (Proverbs 29:18) The book of Judges concludes with a depressing and chaotic result of the absence of leadership: “In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) Judges is a black hole of “the worst of times.”

In his book, “The Leadership Engine,” Noel Tichy describes the four dynamics of effective leadership: Good ideas, energy, values and timing. Good ideas need energy to execute. Ideas and energy deficient in good character destroy. Yet, no matter how smart, energetic and noble, opportunities did not exist had we lived in the Himalayas in the 1400s. Ecclesiastes 3 famously says there is a time for everything to come together.

- Pastor Tom Harriosn