Finding True Meaning in Leadership: When Good Things Go Bad

Leadership is everywhere. We lead ourselves through daily decisions, influence those around us in our homes and workplaces, and look to political leaders to guide our communities. But what happens when even good leadership falls short? What do we do when we make all the right decisions and things still go wrong?

The ancient wisdom of Solomon, recorded in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, offers a sobering reality check: good leadership is valuable, but it has limits. This truth challenges our modern assumptions about control, success, and where we should place our ultimate trust.

The Illusion of Control

Solomon—the wisest and most powerful man of his time—came to a startling conclusion after a lifetime of leading. Despite his unprecedented wisdom, wealth, and authority, he discovered that human leadership, no matter how excellent, cannot guarantee positive outcomes.

Consider his words: "What is crooked can't be straightened; what is lacking can't be counted" (Ecclesiastes 1:15). Even the most capable leader cannot fix every problem or prevent every disaster.

This reality plays out in our personal lives constantly. You can exercise regularly, eat nutritious foods, take your vitamins, and still receive a devastating diagnosis. Meanwhile, someone else might neglect their health entirely and live to a ripe old age. Control, as much as we crave it, is largely an illusion.

The same principle applies to how we lead others. You can be an attentive, loving parent and still watch your children make destructive choices as adults. You can be a fair, principled boss and still have employees who betray your trust. Good leadership limits liabilities, but it cannot eliminate risk.

Three Levels of Leadership

Scripture reveals that God designed leadership to function on three distinct levels, each with its own responsibilities and limitations.

Personal Leadership begins with governing ourselves. We bear responsibility for our own actions and choices. In a culture that constantly deflects blame—"they made me do it" or "my circumstances forced my hand"—the Bible insists on personal accountability. We're called to lead ourselves well regardless of our circumstances, making decisions guided by wisdom and principle rather than impulse or emotion.

Public Leadership involves the influence we have over others. Whether we realize it or not, we all lead someone. Parents lead children. Colleagues influence coworkers. Friends shape friends. The Apostle Paul understood this when he urged believers to "follow me as I follow Christ"—acknowledging that our example carries weight and that we must be intentional about where we're leading people.

Political Leadership addresses the systems and structures that govern society. Throughout Scripture, we see God working through political leaders, even imperfect or ungodly ones, to accomplish His purposes. Joseph served Pharaoh. Daniel advised Nebuchadnezzar. The Bible encourages believers to pray for leaders, participate in civic life, and desire good governance.

When Justice Seems Absent

One of Solomon's most troubling observations cuts against our desire for fairness: "In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!" (Ecclesiastes 8:14).

We've all witnessed this frustrating reality. The cheater gets the promotion. The honest person gets overlooked. The corrupt go unpunished while the innocent suffer. Sometimes the jerk wins, and virtue goes unrewarded.

Solomon also observed that inequality and injustice are woven into human power structures: "Don't be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy" (Ecclesiastes 5:8-9).

The wealthy write rules that benefit themselves. Those with the right connections escape consequences that would crush others. Politicians profit from their positions. These aren't new problems—they're as old as human civilization itself.

This doesn't mean we stop fighting for justice. It means we fight with realistic expectations, understanding that complete justice won't arrive through human effort alone.

The Better Way

After a lifetime of pursuing wisdom, pleasure, achievement, and power, Solomon arrived at a simple but profound conclusion: "Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

The key to meaningful leadership: personally, publicly, and politically, isn't found in our own wisdom or strength. It's found in following God's lead.

When we align our lives with God's Word, we don't have to depend solely on our own judgment. We have principles that transcend circumstances. We have truth that doesn't shift with cultural trends. We can make decisions based on God's facts rather than our fluctuating feelings.

Personally, this means living a Spirit-led life according to Scripture. When we worship God with our lives and follow His commands, we lead ourselves well regardless of outcomes.

Publicly, if we want to lead others well, we must first ensure we're following Christ. Our actions speak louder than our words. People need to see us walking the path before they'll trust us to guide them along it.

Politically, we can cast our votes and advocate for good governance, but our ultimate hope doesn't rest in any human leader. We know that our deliverance doesn't depend on who occupies positions of earthly power but on who sits on heaven's throne.

The Greater Leader

Human leadership will always disappoint eventually. Even David, called "a man after God's own heart," committed adultery and murder. Even Solomon, blessed with supernatural wisdom, turned his heart from God in his later years. Every leader's legacy includes failures and regrets.

But there is One whose leadership is perfect. One whose judgment is completely just. One who offers true freedom rather than bondage, genuine equality rather than oppression, lasting redemption rather than temporary reform.

At the foot of the cross, the ground is level. Rich and poor, powerful and weak, every ethnicity and background, all are offered the same invitation, the same grace, the same seat at the table. This is the only place where true equality exists.

The road to meaningful leadership doesn't start with leading others or even leading ourselves well. It begins with learning to follow the One who never fails, never compromises, and never leads us astray. When we fear God and follow His commands, we discover that good things don't have to go bad, because we've found something better than good. We've found God Himself.

In Christ,

Pastor Mike Rubino