Great leaders are in short supply. Relatives who are business owners have shared their difficulties in finding employees who lead in their companies’ departments without expecting their bosses to do what they (the employees) have been entrusted to do.

One employer said that his day is continually interrupted by team leaders who want him to solve their problems. They show up in his office, complaining that they are missing a tool or are behind on a deadline or are short on J-bolts. Clearly, they have no desire to figure out a solution but want my relative to do it for them. My husband and I bought him this sign for his office door.

I wonder what these businesses would look like if they had godly men in leadership roles. My morning’s Bible study addressed Moses sending 12 leaders/spies to check out the Promised Land. Numbers 13:17-20 indicates that the mission of these spies was not to see if they could take the land, but how they would do it. Effective leaders understand their mission.

Ten of the twelve returned, whining about the difficulties in conquering the land. Yes, there were issues, but they dismissed how God had given them the mandate and the capability to take what He had provided for them. This was their Promised Land. This was their goal, yet they failed to focus on that.

Instead, they spoke of how they were merely “grasshoppers in the enemies’ eyes” when the opposite was true. If we look to Joshua 2:8-11, we read that the Canaanites were terrified of the Israelites. Apparently, they had more confidence in God’s power than the Israelites. Effective leaders do not exaggerate their problems.

Effective leaders have confidence in the abilities God has given them. These ten spies did not deal with this maturely. They told the rest of the tribes who then accepted that defeat was ahead. They wept loudly, according to Numbers 14, and begged to return to Egypt and to replace Moses as their leader. Instead of remembering what the Lord had provided for them, the Israelites believed these naysayers. Great leaders do not share negative reports about their company. They trust its leadership and have confidence in their own ability to solve problems.

Fortunately, there were two who knew otherwise. Joshua and Caleb. I love Caleb’s response, following the grumbling of the ten. “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” He was the factory employee who says, “Let’s start from the beginning to figure out why this machine is stalling.” She is the coach who reminds her team of its ability to compete with the talented opposition. He is the pastor who holds prayer meetings to trust God will enable the elders to stop their divisive ways. She is the wife who prays for her wayward husband instead of grumbling about him to her friends.

Caleb and Joshua reminded the Israelites that God would provide, but they chose instead to complain. God had had it. Those 20 years and older who grumbled would die in the wilderness and never seen the Promised Land, and as for the 10 spies who had caused the problem, they would die by plague. We know what God thinks of poor leadership.

At one time or another, we all are called to lead. Which kind of leader are you?