“They can’t decide whether they want chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting or pink cupcakes with chocolate frosting!” said an exasperated performance coach reporting on the results of the just-concluded leadership meeting.
This group of highly paid executives, tasked with making important decisions about our region, were so indecisive that they couldn’t even decide about the simple issues confronting them.
In another case, a group of executives concluded a marathon meeting session without making essential decisions about their next steps. An exasperated VP reported that they could have made a decision, acted on it, failed, and moved on by now had they just made a decision and acted!
As I have traveled through life in business, missions, and vocational ministry, I have found indecisive leaders abound. Indecision wastes precious time, increases anxiety and stress, and often sabotages our success.
A great example of an indecisive leader is King Zedekiah, whose story is found in the book of Jeremiah.
Zedekiah, the Indecisive Leader
Zedekiah was a vassal king, placed on the throne of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. It was a difficult time for the Israelites, who needed a strong, decisive, Godly king. Sadly, Zedekiah possessed none of these traits.
When we first meet Zedekiah in Jeremiah 37, we learn that neither Zedekiah nor his leaders, and not even the people of Judah, paid any attention to the warnings from God, offered by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37:2).
Despite not heeding Jeremiah’s previous warnings, Zedekiah contacted Jeremiah on four separate occasions. However, on each occasion, Zedekiah ignored the warnings from Jeremiah and the Word of God.
Jeremiah Beaten and Imprisoned
When Jeremiah attempted to leave Jerusalem and go to Benjamin, the king’s guards arrested Jeremiah, beat him, and threw him in prison. Zedekiah left Jeremiah imprisoned on trumped-up charges for a long time. Eventually, Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and asked if Jeremiah had any word from the Lord. Jeremiah repeated God’s warnings. Finally, after a pleading from Jeremiah, Zedekiah allowed Jeremiah to be held under guard in the temple courtyard rather than in prison.
Jeremiah Imprisoned Again
Undeterred, Jeremiah continued to warn people of God’s impending judgment. Four of Zedekiah’s officials reported Jeremiah to Zedekiah. They claimed Jeremiah’s preaching warning the people of God’s coming judgment, was treasonous and thus he deserved to die. Zedekiah turned Jeremiah over to the men saying, “There is nothing the king can do to oppose you” (Jeremiah 38:5). The men then lowered Jeremiah into a muddy cistern, hoping he would die in the mud by starvation.
Jeremiah Rescued By A Cushite
Ebed-Melech, a visiting gentile Cushite official, heard what had been done to Jeremiah and confronted Zedekiah. Ebed-Melech admonished the king for allowing these men to put Jeremiah in the cistern, knowing he would starve to death.
Upon hearing the rebuke from Ebed-Melech, Zedekiah instructed him to take men and rescue Jeremiah from the cistern. Following his rescue from the cistern, Jeremiah was once again placed under guard in the temple courtyard.
Zedekiah Seeks Jeremiah’s Counsel
A while later, Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah to again ask if the Lord had instructions for the people of Judah. Jeremiah repeated all the Lord’s warnings. It was a worrying thought to Zedekiah that the Babylonians would mistreat him if he surrendered. He also feared his own officials would kill him if they discovered he talked to Jeremiah. Zedekiah was so fearful that someone would find out about his meeting with Jeremiah that he instructed Jeremiah to lie to anyone who might ask about their conversation.
Zedekiah’s Multiple Failures
Zedekiah may have been a vassal king, but he was still king of Judah, with all the king’s rights, responsibilities, and power!
Zedekiah’s lack of courage and indecision caused him to fail as a leader in many ways:
- Zedekiah asked Jeremiah for God’s word multiple times, but he never trusted in God enough to lead the people courageously.
- He allowed court officials to imprison Jeremiah on trumped-up treason charges.
- Later, Zedekiah abdicated his responsibility as king, telling his officials they could do whatever they wanted to Jeremiah because he had no power to stop them!
- When a foreigner confronted Zedekiah, Zedekiah changed his mind about Jeremiah, again allowing Jeremiah to be rescued but still be held as a prisoner.
- Finally, when Zedekiah sensed the impending takeover by the Babylonians, he secretly asked Jeremiah what to do. But, again, he failed to follow Jeremiah’s instructions because he feared his officials!
It seems Zedekiah’s mind changed based on whomever he talked to last. He was an indecisive leader who lacked courage and faith in God!
Wisdom, the Cure for Indecision
Reading Zedekiah’s story, it is easy for us to see the damage a fearful, indecisive leader can do. In his case, Zedekiah’s indecisive leadership brought about God’s judgment on the people of Judah at the hands of the king of Babylon—thousands died, those that survived were taken as prisoners, and the city of Jerusalem was destroyed.
All leaders face moments of indecision as we ponder the right way forward. The cure for the indecision we face in our lives is not to rely on our own wisdom but the wisdom of God.
James, the brother of Jesus, tells us,
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” (James 1:5-8).
The last thing we want as leaders is to be considered “double-minded, unstable, or blown about by the wind.” To avoid being an indecisive leader, we must ask God for His wisdom and then have the courage and faith to trust in His wisdom over our own!
I don’t want anyone ever to leave a meeting with you and say, “They can’t decide whether they want chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting or pink cupcakes with chocolate frosting!”
More Articles
I have written several articles on this topic. You can find them by typing “power and influence” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are five of my favorites.
- #445: Is Our Prosperity an Indication of God’s Blessing on Our Country?\
- #404: Are Power and Influence Important to You?
- #402: Is Good Leadership More Than the Exercise of Power?
- #390: Are Certain Positional Leaders Destroying Our Society?
- #131: How Space Mountain is Like Following Jesus
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have you worked with/around indecisive leaders before? What impact did their indecision have on your organization?
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Category: Relationships | Power/Influence
During my police chief years, I’d often do research and seek feedback from colleagues regarding important decisions. But in the end, I had to make a decisive decision. Most of the time, things worked out. A few times, I stumbled. Often, in the fog of fast moving, confusing incidents, what mattered most was that a decision was made to carry us through. Even if we learned later that the decision was imperfect, it was preferable to abject confusion.