December 1, 2008

Dear Friend,

Without a doubt, the greatest example of leadership to be found in the Bible (apart from Jesus, of course) is David. When you speak of David in a biblical context, the name needs no modifier. You don’t have to call him King David in order for a Bible reader to know who you are talking about. His name occurs more than one thousand times in the Old Testament alone. And there is one more curious fact to consider: No one else was ever named David. It is especially strange, given the very human proclivity for naming kids after famous men. It is almost as though God intended David to be one of a kind.

Names in Hebrew mean something, and until recently, I had never looked at the meaning of David’s name, nor had I ever thought much about the characteristics of this man that made him such a great leader. He was easily the most influential and dominant figure in the Old Testament. The story of David is familiar enough, and there is much to be learned from the story about leadership among men.

Once I began, in a recent program, to analyze the story from a leadership point of view, a surprising list of characteristics began to emerge. For example, in his very first combat challenge—the fight with Goliath—several key elements of leadership can be seen. David was uncomplicated, single-minded, audacious (which is why his brother thought he was conceited), and courageous. We can even see the difference between active courage and passive courage.

Along with this comes an essential element of leadership: Faith. In the end, faith is a simple proposition. You either trust God or you don’t, and faith involves trust regardless of the outcome. As David prepared for the battle, other characteristics emerged. A leader is realistic. He knows his limitations. He engages in no pretense. A man of ego would have worn the king’s armor—and died. Furthermore, David went into battle prepared—yet another essential for a man destined to lead.

If you think this is an impressive list of the characteristics of leadership, realize that they are all seen in this one event. As you move forward in David’s life and career, a much longer list can be seen. Authority, a conviction of victory, action, and one more that may surprise some: A leader is not afraid to shed blood, to kill. He is not squeamish. He is able to do what he must, even when he would rather not. This is a man who can inspire confidence in others, but only if they are not afraid of him.

The list grows longer with every incident in David’s long career, but space doesn’t permit developing it all. Rather, you may click on this link to hear the program titled Leadership Found. This program is the antithesis of an earlier program called Leadership Lost.

Still looking for leaders,

Ronald L. Dart