The throne room was a mad house as usual. A rotating cast of people, from dignitaries to slaves moved in and out, as space and the king’s attention allowed. Messengers came and went constantly. Several scribes hunched over their portable tables, trying their best to catch and document the king’s words. Harried soldiers tried to manage the flow of people at the great double doors, propped permanently open, between the throne room and the green space beyond. Few people actually waited in the courtyard, amongst the tropical plants, bubbling fountains, and shaded porticos, knowing that the object of their visit was just beyond those carved doors. To get inside, one just needed to follow the example of several peacocks, who strutted and preened near the doors, waiting for the soldiers to be distracted, whereupon they strolled in and displayed their finery to the king, who had a habit of stopping in the middle of an avid conversation to throw them parched corn.
The throne itself stood empty, as it always did except for the most formal of occasions. King David was not a man who liked to sit on a platform and have people bowing before him. He viewed all men as peers, and preferred to stand among them. Rather than a golden scepter, he carried a sheathed sword. It fit his warrior ethos, but David did not carry it as a symbol or statement. He carried it out of habit, and waved it about as he talked.
Yet the throne platform was not empty. If you took a second look past the activity near David, you might notice a small alcove, draped with tapestries, set slightly back from the throne. Within sat a young man, watching all that took place.
Solomon was as study in contrast to his father. His fine features pointed to a man of intellect. His thoughtful composure impressed visitors as one wise beyond his years. But today, his face was troubled. And David noticed.
It was yet an hour before the usual break for the noon meal, but David decided to take action. Clapping his hands together, he said without apology, “I will have all men out from me. Thank you for coming, I will receive again tomorrow those who have not spoken to my face today.”
The room emptied as if by magic, and David was alone with Solomon.
“What is it son? Your face is troubled. Did I say something to disquiet you?”
“No father, I am disturbed with my own thoughts.”
“What is it, son?”
Solomon sighed deeply. “Father, I do not believe I can ever do what you do. To live with this constant chaos. To have so many coming and going. To have everyone wanting something from me, right away. I just don’t think I could hold up to it. I’m afraid I’ll fail you, and God, and the people.”
David’s face broke into a smile. “Son, you remind me more every day of my own father, and I know of no higher compliment to pay you. He was a man who thought much, and liked order. I always felt I could never measure up to him, but I’m so glad you’re like him. The kingdom is ready for a leader like you. Of all the things I want to teach you before I die, perhaps one of the most important is for you to learn to lead the way God designed you to lead. Not the way I led. You must find the face of God. Then you must lead the people in your own way.”
The two men sat together, deep in conversation, all the rest of the day. When they parted ways for their own quarters late that evening, Solomon walked with the confidence only a father can bestow on his son. And David had the spring of real hope in his steps. The kingdom he had fought so hard to build would be in good hands when he was gone.
Though the two men were quite different, a study of the biblical accounts of David and his son Solomon reveal successive stories of great accomplishment. They are excellent examples of the two main archetypes of business management, the Entrepreneur and the Builder. Unfortunately, Solomon’s son Rehoboam provides us with a third possibility, the Destroyer, which of course no Godly leader wants to imitate. In order then, here are the three kings of management.
David: The Entrepreneur.
David’s style is characterized by an action-oriented leader. His business model is often a cult of personality – very dependent on one man. If David isn’t there, everything grinds to a halt very quickly. Within a certain scale it is very efficient. Everyone has access to the top. Decisions happen quickly and at a gut level. This model tends to be more relationship dependent and less systems dependent. It is scrappy and messy. The Davids of this world are much more impressed with results than with protocol. They spend more time looking at the future and new opportunities than at the past. They would rather outrun a problem than slow down and think it through. This model depends more on hustle than on capital. Employee loyalty is toward a person and his agenda rather than a formally recognized cause. At his core, David is a conqueror, a man of war, not an organizer. He does not like to delegate, but he is very good at getting things done, and at inspiring others to do the same.
Solomon: The Builder
Solomon’s model is capital and systems dependent. Everything is oriented toward excellence and scalability. It requires much thought, careful management, and delegation. It depends very much on formal channels of communication, and respect for chain of command. It is very data dependent. It focuses more on developing resources than on seeking new opportunities. It has a deliberate approach to problem solving and is less dependent on the leader’s direct, daily engagement. Solomon is a thinker, not a warrior. He inspires order.
Rehoboam: The Destroyer
Rehoboam’s model is not really a business model at all, but is a parasite, feeding on the accomplishments of the Davids and Solomons of this world. It is characterized by a self-absorbed person, selfishly using up the human and material capital that someone else has accumulated. In this model the entire infrastructure exists to serve the needs and wants of the principal and his cohorts. It rarely outlasts his generation.
As a business owner or manager, which style best describes you? Most people lean clearly toward one or the other of the first two leadership styles. However, we’ve noticed that no matter which style a leader gravitates toward, as he matures and gains experience, he tends to learn and borrow from the best qualities of the other style. For instance, a young Solomon, though thoughtful and intelligent, must eventually learn what every David knows from birth. Nothing happens until we move from planning to execution. And sometimes the best laid plans look different once we attempt to carry them out. On the other hand, a David, though exceptional in his ability to see opportunities and build from scratch, often reaches the limit of his personal capacity, and needs to either hire a Solomon type manager, or develop some new habits while breaking others that are deeply genetic.
We believe there are inherent strengths and weaknesses to either approach, and encourage you to ask yourself (and others) where you seem to fit in the spectrum. Do you prefer being in the thick of battle, or at the conference table? Are you an extrovert that feeds off the energy of being with other people, or are you an introvert that tends to live in your own head? There are both opportunities and limitations implied for your business, depending on how God made you. The goal is to leverage your own strengths, while humbly learning from the strengths of others. The purpose is to build your business for the good of the kingdom, your employees, your community.
It is also worth stopping to think about the example of Rehoboam. Though none of us want to follow his path, yet within us all lies a selfish streak capable of imitating him. In contrast to Rehoboam, Godly leadership is a call to being a servant in the most difficult sense of the word.
In summary, as you lead your business, use the qualities God gave you, and borrow from the qualities of others. Take the advice of David to his son Solomon: “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind… if thou seek him, he will be found of thee... Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it."
God bless you as you accept the challenge.
The Arrow Team
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