[Leadership] Read the Need, Then Lead

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you. Proverbs 25:21-22

Leaders need to respond to individuals based on their needs rather than their faults. The Lord encourages us to see what others need-even our enemies-and respond accordingly.

Good leaders do this well. They don't lead out of a predetermined package of behaviors, but size up every situation and discern what must happen to reach the desired goal. Like a quarterback who reads the defense, then calls an audible from the line of scrimmage, good leaders remain flexible and may change their response, based not on what a person deserves, but on what they need to succeed. Good leaders follow this path in difficult situations:

They need-They aren't afraid to admit they need to listen and get understanding.
They read-They evaluate what has happened and what steps are best to take.
They feed-They communicate what they've observed to key players.
They heed-They act on the basis of their discovery, even if it means change.
They lead-They provide direction to those involved.

The Maxwell Leadership Bible