Read Ecclesiastes 10:1–10
I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. Ecclesiastes 10:7

If there is one person who needs wisdom, it is the ruler of a nation. Lyndon B. Johnson said, “A president’s hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right.” If a ruler is proud, he may say and do foolish things that cause him to lose the respect of his associates (Eccl. 10:4). The picture here is of a proud ruler who easily becomes angry and takes out his anger on the attendants around him.

To be sure, there is a righteous anger that sometimes needs to be displayed (Eph. 4:26), but not everything we call righteous indignation is righteous. It is so easy to give vent to jealousy and malice by disguising them as holy zeal. But if a ruler is too pliable, he is also a fool (Eccl. 10:5–7). If he lacks character and courage, he will put fools in the high offices and qualified people in the low offices. If a ruler has incompetent people advising him, he is almost certain to govern the nation unwisely. The best rulers (and leaders) are men and women who are tough minded but tender hearted, who put the best people on the horses and don’t apologize for it.

Something to Ponder
In what ways are you too proud? Too pliable? How do you find the proper balance here?