No One Said It Would Be Easy

September 23, 2024

Dear Leaders,

Looks can be deceiving.? When entering the room, it’s easy to gravitate to someone who is the best looking, who looks like he or she is in charge, or is the best dressed, and while I easily qualify in all three categories, it often not this person, but someone else who is destined to wear the mantle or the crown.? Leadership is not about appearance alone, rather, it is the talent you have and the wherewithal to use it, and even if you are successful, no one said it would be easy.

David hardly seemed destined for greatness.? A shepherd boy, caring for his father’s flocks, he wasn’t even in the room when the Prophet Samuel was told to visit David’s father Jesse and anoint one of his sons to be Israel’s next king.? Duly anointed, but then-King Saul was seeking someone to oppose an invading army led by the immense warrior Goliath, and when David volunteered, Saul was not impressed, but surmised he had nothing to lose.?

Meeting the Philistine army, David moved forward, and the unimpressed and insulted Goliath merely cursed him, expecting to make short work of the boy.? Relying on his skill with the sling, David selected five smooth stones, and on his first shot, lodges one in Goliath’s brow, felling the giant and then beheading him with his own sword.? Seeing their champion vanquished, the Philistines broke and ran.

As you would expect, David is an overnight sensation, and Saul gives him command of his army, but soon sees a threat.? A game of cat and mouse ensues, and David finds himself in a position to kill the sleeping Saul but spares his life.? Saul is eventually killed by the Philistines, and David becomes king, uniting the kingdoms of Israel and becoming a popular and powerful ruler.? Supposedly having it all, he is considered favored by God, but like so many others, he falls victim to his own foibles, and what should have been an era of peace becomes one of tumult, as David has to battle his own son in later years, deal with God’s punishments, and leaves a power struggle between two sons at his death, with son Solomon ascending to the throne.

Being apparently born for the job is no guarantee of predestination or protection from the Sturm und Drang of life, and leadership is no exception.? Regardless of your talent, your skill, your knowledge, your favor with those above you, the realities of the world will come to your door uninvited, and like that relative you really don’t like, they don’t leave easily.? There are always battles to be fought, challenges great and small, and like David, those you should be able to count on can easily turn against you.? ???

Despite having David’s attributes of ruddy handsomeness and quick wits, I was not immune. After a few years of serving at our regional headquarters, when my boss retired, everyone, including me, thought I was the anointed one, the person who would naturally move into the position.? I was filling in when a confluence of events threw up one roadblock after another.? The virus shut down normal operations, and the resulting budget shortfall brought about a hiring freeze.? The regional director whose favor I had retired, and the new boss was not in my fan club.? She selected her favorite person, and the writing was on the wall that my services were no longer needed nor desired.?

Leaders who look back on a life of challenges need to realize that they are the sum of their overcoming many of them and the achievements and accomplishments therefrom.? As most of us don’t die in office like kings and queens, there is life after a professional career, and sitting around watching classic movies on television is a waste of the same skills and talents, and even more a waste of the accumulated wisdom.? Opportunities to serve abound, and in doing so, you stay relevant.

David was famous for more than his victory over Goliath, as he is revered for unifying his people, writing the Psalms, and is regarded as ancient Israel’s greatest king.? We look not to his shortcomings and transgressions, rather, we celebrate his achievements and his place in Biblical and recorded lore.? As for me, I’m still serving and leading, and while they won’t build statues of me sans clothing (a public service indeed), my former colleagues and crew still sing my praises with lyre and harp, and I have the privilege of not only still serving, but sharing my experience and wisdom with you here.?

Sincerely,

Tim