One of the greatest leaders our world has seen and certainly one of the most famous the world over not just for his leadership ability but for his heart towards God is David. Prophet. King. Warrior. Worshipper. Architectural Planner of a Divine Monument (Solomon'sTemple) still unparallelled in our day.
There are many life lessons that can be gleaned from David's life, but I want to look simply at four keys to maintaining the lead. Let's take a look at a familiar passage of scripture and unlock timeless wisdom right from the Word of God.
1 Samuel 30
1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
18And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
19And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
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David was in a tenuous position. He was leading a group of men who had entrusted all that they were to him when this tragedy occured. Whether you are a pastor, CEO, or a shift leader, you feel the pressure of the position of leadership. There are four keys I want to pull out that allowed David to maintain the Lead in Crisis.
I jokingly like to refer to many of my clients as Nick-At-Nite customers. Most of my consulting is done out of the public view and eye. People want advice, prayer, and help, while at the same time keeping their identity and issue confidential. Confidentiality is more valuable than your talent. If you can't keep confidences, it will affect every area of your life, both public and private. People rely on good advice as well as prayer to help them lead in crisis. David did no less.
Key Number 1: Love-Fueled Loyalty
David felt not only his own loss, but the loss of those around him to the point of emotional distress. In our current economic crisis, many are hard pressed to find leaders who empathize and sympathize with the over 50% of the country that are unemployed or under-employed. People don't care about your plan until they know you care about them. How do we know that David exhibited loyalty? At the end of recovering all, David stood up for those who had fought and those who guarded the camp. They were equally important though their functions were different. If you are going to maintain the lead, you have to recognize the importance of everyone you serve and who serve you in some capacity.
Key Number 2:Encourage.Enquire.Empower.
David wept until he could weep no more. I am amazed at how many leaders consider it a good thing to keep thier feelings in and show no emotion. I call that an explosion waiting to happen at the wrong place, with the wrong person, and most likely at the wrong time. When you get done weeping, you have to move forward. God gave us the ability to feel pain and loss. Every emotion serves a purpose. When dealt with properly, grief can galvanize and has fueled some of the greatest victories. But David did not stop at grief; he did 3 very important things that leaders must do: he encouraged himself, he enquired of the Lord, and he went in the empowerment of the answer. I say this boldly: true leadership begins and ends at God. God sets up natural and spiritual leaders and when we think we can do it without Him, He is at liberty to put one down and set up another. In this instance, David did not lean on his own understanding, though he did in other cases. God here allows us to see what victory looks like as David equires of God before venturing to initiate a military campaign. God assures him of the victory, and David goes in the power of that Word.Whether God says No, Stop, Wait, Go Ahead, or Next Year, if we go in the power of God's Word, we will see the success God promised.
Key Number 3: Assignment
David knew his assignment. It wasn't to go and collect another wife. It wasn't to remain at Ziklag and cry himself to sleep. He was given an assignment of rescue and recovery. If we are maintain the LEAD, we must remain focused on the assignment that God has given to us. When we follow through with our assignment, lack and insufficiency will be a thing of the past. Not only did David recover, but he also gained the spoils of those who had ransacked their town. God has a sure assignment for us if we will seek Him. The enemy may seem to have an upperhand in the skirmishes of life, but if you will remain on assignment, you will win the battle every time!
Key Number 4: Determination & Drive To Deliver
This is perhaps one of the most under-emphasized things in leadership. I call it the follow thru. Some companies call it the Promise, other the Guarantee. What it boils down to is customer satisfaction. Did you "deliver the goods"? Most consultants will tell you it is better to under-promise and over deliver, than to promise what is not in your power to deliver. Your biggest advertisers are 1. dissatisfied customers and 2. satisfied customers. Clearly, if you want to maintain the lead, you want repeat customers, loyal to your product, your brand, your ministry. David had heard from the Lord, and now it was up to him as the leader to follow through with what God had endorsed. David made good on his promise to recover all by putting into action what God has endorsed. He smote their enemies from sunup to sundown, not resting until they were all defeated. As a leader, your determination and drive for the vision and goal should out-match those you are leading. David had a personal stake but he also had a leadership stake in recovering all. It can be difficult to be vested in following an apathetic leader who has lost sight of their own vision.
As followers of Christ, we are always in lead mode. We are called to be a light to the world. What does light do, if not lead out of darkness?
In order to maintain the LEAD in life you must be fueled by love, encourage yourself, enquire of God, be empowered in your assignment, and have the determination and drive to complete the assignment God has given to you. When you do these things, maintaining the LEAD in life will not be the exception but the norm. You will move from simply maintaining to Reigning in the place that God has called you to!
