The biblical leader who coached, rather than canceled, a difficult team member

Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. …She sent for Barak…and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’” Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. (Judges 4:4-9)

Deborah is one of the greatest leaders in all of Scripture, a prophet and judge whose governance led to a rare period of “rest for forty years” for the nation of Israel (Judges 5:31). Today's passage shows us three leadership lessons from her extraordinary life.

#1: Deborah offered consequences and compassion simultaneously.

When God, through Deborah, told Barak to “go,” he said, “if.” That’s not obedience. It’s hesitance. And Deborah laid out the consequences of Barak’s response clearly. But she didn’t only offer consequences. She offered compassion as well, agreeing to Barak’s request that she join him on this mission.

Oftentimes we view consequences and compassion or accountability and mercy as mutually exclusive. Deborah shows how godly leaders can hold both together. The next time you give tough feedback to a team member, be willing to get in the foxhole with them as they solve the problem.

#2: Deborah coached rather than canceled a difficult team member.

It would have been understandable for Deborah to say, "Away from me, Barak,” and replace him with another leader. I know I can be quick to judge and move past underperforming team members. “I'll find someone else,” I think, or “I'll just do it myself.” 

But we see nothing of that "fire fast" mindset with Deborah. She appears not to view her team as people meant to work perfectly “out of the box” to serve her needs, but rather as people God gave her to steward and develop.

#3: Deborah called out courage in her team when they didn’t feel it.

Later, when Barak and his men are finally positioned on Mount Tabor, Deborah says to her commander once more: “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands” (Judges 4:14). Apparently, Barak still couldn’t see how he could win this battle. So Deborah spoke the courage he didn’t have, rooted in the fact that it was the Lord, not Barak or Deborah, who would produce victory.

And this, I’d submit, is a beautiful example of godly authority. 9Marks President Jonathan Leeman says that “Good, godly authority ‘authors’ life,” in others, “like the root of the word itself: author-ity.” Which is exactly what we see in Deborah.

Who is the Barak in your life today: the team member you’re tempted to give up on? Whoever you are leading, even if only those in your household, ask God to give you a spirit like Deborah’s and the strength to use your authority to author life in that difficult person, helping them to become all God created them to be.