Listen To Your People

The people broke in and said to Saul, “Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? . . .” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death. 1 Samuel 14:45

On occasion, you need to listen to the people you’re leading. They, in turn, need to speak up when you’ve made a poor decision.

It’s a two-way street.

People need to speak, and leaders need to listen. The mission suffers if either side fails in their responsibilities.

Saul had issued a ridiculous decree that would mandate the death of his son. He knew he had made a mistake, but he refused to reverse his ruling.

The people spoke up. They saw the situation from a different perspective and presented a strong case in Jonathan’s defense. Saul backed down, and Jonathan was spared.

The people spoke, the leader listened, and a tragic mistake was avoided.

Do you encourage your staff to challenge your decisions? Do you listen when they see things from a different perspective?