Isn’t it interesting how the first man who was king over Israel, Saul, was  presented to the people.  He was tall, with a striking appearance.  Head and shoulders above the rest.  He was a warrior.  Courageous.  A man of action.  Nice visual, huh?

​But what wasn’t readily apparent were his weaknesses.  A few, for example,  were that Saul didn’t always follow God’s commands, and he liked to do his own thing, and he failed to understand the importance of obedience. 

To me, the biggest though, is it seems as though Saul believed he was capable of being king on his own.   Saul failed to realize he absolutely needed God and not the other way around. 

As I thought about Saul and his rise and demise as the first king of Israel, it got me to thinking: we are chosen for a purpose by God but we must never fail to understand we are not capable of operating in the fullness of it on our own.  

We need God 😉

Be Strengthened and Encouraged in HIM!

Have you ever struggled with leadership?  Oh, I have.   As I walked through the life of Saul and his kingly reign I was reminded of it.  Gosh, it’s been about twenty years but I remember the day my ego was severely bruised like it was yesterday.  🤕 The day my manager sat me down and said I would not make it too much further if I didn’t change. 

​As he continued to coach, I could feel the anger rising up in me.  As I fought back the tears, I remember, at one point, looking at him and thinking “Change? I am one of your top performers!” 

I went home crying that day, pissed, muttering under my breath that this guy had no idea what he was talking about amongst other things 😱 

But this guy saw something in me I couldn’t see and knew that I needed to stop managing and learn to lead or I would not succeed.

It turned out it was the best advice I ever received in my executive career.   In fact, in later years, once I got over myself, as part of the annual leadership meetings I began using my own personal story to illustrate my leadership journey.

See,  clearly there were facets of leadership I didn’t get.  I knew how to get a job done but the aftermath — not pretty.   

See, like Saul, I had leadership gaps and that is putting it nicely.  Like Saul, I didn’t get that leaders must promote teamwork and a winning culture.  Leaders must surround themselves with great leaders.  Leaders must possess emotional intelligence which is the ability to understand and manage their own emotions.  Oh, and those of the people around them, too.  So essential for success.

My personal struggle with leadership took me from a proud managing controller to a “most of the time” humble enabler, influencer and motivator.  My personal struggle taught me leadership takes continuous learning and growth.  Leadership is a journey.  

John F. Kennedy said “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”  Oh, I could not agree more!

Be Strengthened and Encouraged in HIM!

But, what if, in the midst of the women singing (noted in 1 Samuel 18:6), Saul grabbed one of David’s arms and raised it up in a celebratory manner, you know hero fashion, as he and David and the rest of the Israelites marched home from defeating Goliath?  

What if Saul gave a little speech on how Israel was delivered from bondage, and how once again God gave them victory, and how this time it was through David, and maybe comment on how this is how God’s people work together to benefit the Kingdom? 

What if he, on purpose, refused to let the negativity (jealousy, pride, etc) festering inside change how he operated as a godly leader? 

What if Saul realized he didn’t have to be the best but surrounding himself with great leaders would make him even more effective? 

What if he realized it wasn’t about his title or position but it was about his purpose overall as part of God’s Kingdom?

​​So many what if’s with so much to ponder. ☺️

Be Strengthened and Encouraged in HIM!