Proverbs 12:15-16

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice.
The vexation of a fool is known at once,
but the prudent ignores an insult.
Proverbs 12:15-16 (ESV)

According to the Bible, people who are wise and prudent listen to advice and do not get insulted easily.

According to the Bible, people who are fools always think they are right and become vexed easily.

Of course, this is true of everyone, but it is the most visible where leaders are concerned.

The best leaders surround themselves with wise counselors and listen carefully, weighing what they hear against what they see for themselves in scripture. They are not easily offended, because their aim is to be true to God's word, not to be infallible themselves. In fact, they would gladly go back and correct something that they had said that, in retrospect, they deemed to have been out of line with scripture, because being true to scripture--to God Himself-- is their highest goal. And they are humble. I am so thankful for the leaders in my life who are this way. They truly set an example for those who follow them. They set a Christlike, servant-leader example.

Foolish leaders do not surround themselves with the wise and take advice. Perhaps it is because they lack the discernment to recognize who among them is gifted with God's wisdom. Perhaps it is because they hold their leadership role with such grasping lust for power that they cannot stomach the thought of submitting to anyone else's advice. Or perhaps it is because they fear that if they expose their inner thoughts to truly wise counselors, they will be discovered to be humbugs who really have no wisdom of their own at all, only charisma. At any rate, when wise counsel does come their way, they generally have a tendency to become vexed and angry that anyone could have the gall to presume to offer counsel to someone in their position. Because to this type of leader, it is all about position, authority, and the appearance of being infallible... and very little about the beautiful mysteries of scripture which can only come to light under the power and direction of the Holy Spirit who works in unpredictable ways and gives much more grace to the humble than He gives to the proud.