What Went Wrong? Lessons in Leadership from Solomon, the Bible’s Wisest and Worst Ruler

This paper attempts to demonstrate the many insights into successful and unsuccessful leadership that may be derived from the life of King Solomon, who, according to Scripture, was the wisest man who ever lived. Solomon may have been very wise, but made some very serious blunders that ultimately led to the breakup of his empire after the ascendency of his son. This paper examines the mistakes and/or character flaws which contributed to the decline of Solomon from a great leader to an ineffectual figurehead. This paper will also examine the Book of Proverbs attributed to Solomon and highlight its pertinent leadership lessons. One question that the paper will attempt to answer is whether or not Solomon followed the path of wisdom discussed in Proverbs.