Here’s a new leadership lesson from an old story. What can leaders learn from the story of David and Goliath? No, I’m not suggesting a “defeating the giants” pep talk. Instead, let’s consider how the 1 Samuel 17 illustrates a leadership tool as old as history, yet still relevant today – the leadership story.
In 1 Samuel 17, the Israelites are despondent, and their king is fearful; an entire nation cowers before the giant Goliath. But then something happens: a shepherd boy stands before King Saul and tells a story:
“Master,” said David, “don’t give up hope. I’m ready to go and fight this Philistine.”
Saul answered David, “You can’t go and fight this Philistine. You’re too young and inexperienced—and he’s been at this fighting business since before you were born.”
David said, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.”
Saul said, “Go. And God help you!” (From The Message)
What just happened? A powerless follower entered an organization in chaos, and when he got his chance to stand before the CEO, he changed the boss’s mind with a story – moving the boss to action (and yes, the boss delegated away a crucial duty, but that is something we can discuss another time).
The right story at the right time transforms the hopeless and creates heroes among the nameless masses.
Seriously. Stories are that good.
I’m so convinced in the (underappreciated) power of stories as a leadership tool that I’m currently writing a PhD dissertation on how community leaders use story as a leadership tool. From the literature I’ve read so far, I’ve noted three themes in leadership stories that I want to share with you. Though not all leadership stories include all three of these, they often contain two.
- Leadership stories are educational. Although our example from 1 Samuel 17 lacks this quality, leadership stories often convey factual information. Think of “how-to” stories where you explain how you solved a specific problem. These stories can also express organizational culture (how we do things around here). Be advised however: simply conveying facts is not story’s forte.
- Leadership stories are relational. Sometimes leadership stories connect people (think about how entertaining or emotional stories can connect you with an audience). Other times leadership stories connect concepts, like linking the present actions of an organization with its historic foundations. For an example of linking history to a present situation, look again at 1 Samuel 17. David connects past victories over wild animals with confidence in a present victory of an uncircumcised Philistine.
- Leadership stories are inspirational. This third factor is crucial. Leadership stories don’t just inform people, leadership stories move people to action. Howard Gardner’s (1995) Leading Minds explains that leadership stories tell people who they are, where they are going, what obstacles are in the way, and how they will overcome those obstacles. Leadership stories help move people from one state of being to another. In 1 Samuel 17, David’s story moved Saul from decision avoiding (doing nothing) to decision making (allowing David to confront the Philistine).
So how do you apply this? Good question. I suggest keeping a file with stories that inspire you or stories from your own life that might inspire others. Look for ways to incorporate these stories in both group presentations and private conversations. Finally, if you want help crafting your leadership story, please contact me. I’d love to hear your story and help you craft it to impact others.
Stanley J. Ward is the Director of Campus Life and Ministry at The Brook Hill School, a published author, and a napkin theologian. When not writing his dissertation, he also plays ukulele. Email him if you want to know more about leadership stories.
“The right story at the right time transforms the hopeless and creates heroes among the nameless masses.” Amen! I very much enjoyed this post, thank you for sharing!
You are welcome – I suspect you have witnessed the power of storytelling yourself.
“The right story at the right time transforms the hopeless and creates heroes among the nameless masses.” Amen! I very much enjoyed this post, thank you for sharing!
Let me preface by saying I have only read this one post so I don’t know the greater context of your writings so I may be somewhat off-base here but as far as this post as a stand-alone and the popular idea of how great story can be in leadership I would to offer some thoughts.
I agree that story can be a powerful way to influence but I think the key to 1 Samuel 17 is not the story but the reality behind the story. Story for the sake of influence can in fact be evil. Look at Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah in Isaiah 36:13-22 & 37:9-13. His servant Rabshakeh also uses story to try to frighten the Israelites into surrendering.
Jonathan Edwards said “There are two ways of recommending true religion
and virtue in the world, which God hath made use of: the one is by
doctrine and precept; the other by instance and example.” God makes use of stories (instance and example) as well as commands, precepts and doctrines.
In the case of Isaiah 36-37 it is the obedience of precept that saves Israel from the defeat of the story that Rabshakeh tried to use to frighten Israel from trusting their God. In Isaiah 36:21 it says “But they [the Israelites] were silent and answered him [Rabshakeh] not a word, for the king’s command was, ‘Do not answer him.'” The Israelites obeyed the king, which they were responsible to do before God, and in doing so they ultimately found success.
Also, Hezekiah, instead of fearing the story of Rabshakeh, goes to God in prayer (1 Kings 8:44-45) and seeks His help. Again, obeying the precept and doctrine of reality overcomes the fear intended by story.
My point is not that story is not a valid tool in leadership but that it is very easy to misuse story and to in fact use it as a tool to corrupt good precept and doctrine. As a Christian, we must not be caught up in stories that distort the biblical principals we are commanded to keep. If Israel were to have done this in Isaiah 36;37 I fear that they would have suffered God’s judgement (1 Kings 9:6-9) even sooner than they did.
The power of story is that it affects the emotions which can then enable people to overcome obstacles. When used correctly it can be powerful for a good cause. When used corruptly, it can be used to manipulate and to cause people to do things that are not consistent with sound judgement. Another (probably better example) of story used with evil motivation would be Satan’s temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4. Satan even (mis)quotes scripture as a tool in his stories to tempt Jesus to break the precept of God’s word. Jesus relies on precept to do what is right and survive the temptation.
After all, one of Jesus’ own most powerful and memorable stories was the one that told us to keep His commands:
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
(Matthew 7:24-27 ESV)
-I apologize for any possible over-reaction to your post but I’ve just seen far to many stories used (especially in politics and business leadership books) to manipulate people into doing things that in reality are a bad idea. I pray that this observation may be of value to you!
To complete my thought, worse than the stories that lead to bad politics and business decisions are the ones that tickle people’s ears and lead them astray from the gospel. Paul warns Timothy that a time is coming when people will want nothing but stories or myths that tickle their ears:
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)
The Greek word word Paul uses for “myths” literally means:
1) a speech, word, saying
2) a narrative, story
a) a true narrative
b) a fiction, a fable
1) an invention, a falsehood
Because of the seriousness of this problem (people wandering off from the true faith into myth’s and stories), Paul exhorts Timothy with probably the most sobering charge in the Bible! Stick to God’s word!
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV)
As Christians, we must make sure we have the right story (even if it’s foolish to those who hear!). The gospel itself is an example:
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:21-25 ESV)
God uses a message foolish to the eyes of the world to save souls. Paul made sure to stick to the point:
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV)
Anyways, just trying to bring a biblical view to stories and their danger as I’ve seen many a Christian leader use stories to get across their own agenda which is not consistent with God’s word. Instead of that I wish that they would look to Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and remember:
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13 ESV)
You make a good point: one can be a good storyteller and still not be a good leader. Stories are simply tools. Like an ax, they can be used for both good or evil. In one example, an ax cuts a tree that will later become lumber in a Habitat for Humanity home. In another example an ax is used to commit murder (such as in the book _Crime and Punishment_).
Both the content and intended use of a story determines its quality.
Thanks for adding a good cautionary note to my original post.
I used the story of Jesus’ life to form a base for my comments.
I have found that following is probably one of the most difficult tasks. We hate to follow but like to lead. That is why Christianity is such a difficult thing to most believers. Everybody wants to lead. Was Christ a follower or a leader? He was a follower. Agree? How do we know? He would ask His father and lead according to His direction therefore He was a follower. Yet we all want to be leaders. The sooner we learn to follow the more successful Christians we will become. So if you really want to be a Christian try following. Be careful now who you are following. If you are getting ready to follow, your leader is Jesus Christ. Not the Pastor, Elder, Deacon or any other church member. Why, they are all imperfect beings. Jesus is our perfect example. In His example he led the disciples by following His Father, therefore in order for us to be successful leaders we must become a follower of Jesus Christ. He perfectly followed His Father’s leading.
In this sense, the wife may follow the lead of her husband who is a follower of Jesus Christ, but as his help meet, she must help him when he falls off course. Most men understand this in a financial sense but they never understood the wealth of understanding of a help meet in their lives. If a wife becomes a compassionate, empathetic and humble help meet she can cause her husband to love her beyond measure. Which man would turn away a wife with such qualities?
You are right; most of us hate to follow but love to lead. Thanks for your comments!