Dear Friends:

We have a tendency to overlook the genealogies and logistical inventories of the Bible, but we can always learn something if we reflect on them for a while. The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 tells us that the Christ came to us through the great and very ordinary, adulterers and murderers, the desperate and the long forgotten and thereby gives us hope in his saving grace.

The Old Testament Book of First Chronicles contains a remarkable listing of what it takes to build a nation or an organization that I think is well worth our reflection.

These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the LORD had said:

-from Judah, carrying shield and spear­ 6,800 armed for battle;

-from Simeon, warriors ready for battle ­7,100;

-from Levi­4,600,  including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men, and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family;

-from Benjamin, Saul’s tribe­ 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to Saul’s house until then;

-from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans­ 20,800;

-from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king­ 18,000;

-from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do- 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;

-from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty­ 50,000;

-from Naphtali-1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;

-from Dan, ready for battle­ 28,600;

-from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle­ 40,000;

-and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon­ 120,000.

All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them. Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel (1 Chron 12:23-40, NIV).

This account instructs us that it takes different skills and resources to win a war than it does to build an organization and maintain its peace. This seems obvious, but it is a lesson for leadership and for followers that is often ignored leading to a destructive turbulence among those serving and those they serve. A lasting organization must be founded on positive principles, not on mere opposition to someone or someone else.

David rose to power with the help of a band of rebels and outcasts. Their cause was righteous, but their methods were unorthodox of necessity. Vastly outnumbered by the army of King Saul and the enemies of Israel, David adopted the guerrilla tactic of the quick raid to inflict the greatest damage at the least cost.

His fighting men were joined by their families who were dispossessed by Saul. They lived off the land, in caves, mountain strongholds and remote desert oases. On the pragmatic theory that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” David even joined forces with the Philistines for awhile in a deceptive ploy for survival.

Without the authority of law, there are only two strategic choices for rebels. They must either persuade the populace that they represent its best interests or intimidate the people into fearing the rebels more than the government. David pursued the former strategy and his popularity with the people was assisted by Saul’s harsh ruthlessness.

Saul eventualy fell to a Philistine sword on the slope of Mount Gilboa. David became king of Judah, his ancestral tribe and territory. Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth became king of the tribes of Israel and the war continued between Judah and the other tribes until Abner, Ish-Bosheth’s general, defected and was assassinated in an act of treachery by David’s general, Joab. Ish-Bosheth himself was assassinated by rogue supporters of David. The leaderless House of Saul fell and the long civil war came to an end.

The transition of power over all of Israel was smoothed by the Israelite military commanders swearing allegiance to David in accordance to the divine will expressed years before in Samuel’s anointing of David as God’s chosen successor to Saul. It was then necessary to establish and staff a government for the preservation of the peace of the kingdom, to promote its prosperity and the welfare of its people, and to defend its borders. The commanders from each tribe sent their best men to help David in building the kingdom.

The listing of attributes of the men sent to help David are instructive about what is necessary to successfully operate any large organization. You need personnel who are:

–properly equipped and technologically adept (“armed for battle. . . with every type of weapon”)

–well-trained (“prepared for battle”)

–experienced (“experienced soldiers prepared for battle”)

–alert and responsive (“ready for battle”)

–proven in leadership (“leader of the family. . .and officers”)

–loyal and disciplined (“to help David with undivided loyalty”)

–courageous (“brave warriors, famous in their own clans”)

–committed to the mission (“designated by name to come and make David king. . . “fully determined to make David king”)

–discerning about the times and strategic in thinking about “the big picture” (“men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do”)

–there by choice and desire to serve regardless of position (“all of these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks”)

–happy about what they are doing (“for there was joy in Israel”)

The list may not have the charisma of the latest business book du jour. It refers to character traits for the most part, not talents. Preparation, alertness, loyalty, discipline, courage, commitment, and humility are traits and habits available to anyone who chooses to live for the service of others in a cause bigger than themselves.

Leadership, discernment, strategy and adeptness are talents, but they mean nothing without the listed character traits. To a great extent those talents can be developed, if the character is there. Without character, the talent will likely produce monsters,  not leaders.

No one can argue that 1 Chronicles 12 does not describe exemplary qualities. Not everyone listed possessed every attribute, but that is not required. It is the collaboration and accountability between persons of diverse abilities that make an organization strong and effective. It is the right person doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason that means the difference between success and failure, but that does not mean everyone doing the same thing at the same time.

Yet, organizations often look for the superman or superwoman that has all of these talents in equal measure. This strategy condemns organizational life to an endless, enervating cycle of unrealistic expectations and crushing disappointment. The cycle is usually moderated by acceptance of mediocrity as an “it-is-the-best-that-we-can-

do” standard.

An organization can to some degree survive mediocre leadership and strategy. An organization will die if it tolerates mediocrity or worse in the character traits.

Unfortunately, as a corporate attorney, it has too often been my experience that abusive arrogance, a lack of discipline and accountability, disloyalty, moral cowardice, and dishonesty are overlooked or tolerated in the interests of maintaining the pretense of a corporate mission or a strategy. Because organization inherently involves relationship, it cannot function without the trust born from commitment, consistency, respect, shared power and communication.

The tribes sent their best human resources for one cause–the building of the kingdom under David’s leadership. Organizational success begins with commitment to the same mission by all involved. If that unity of commitment doesn’t exist then the famous “divided house” cannot stand.

The men sent to help David were known for certain traits and abilities. They had proven to be dependable. If an organization’s people can’t be counted on to perform as needed, the organization fails for it never is greater than its people.

An organization can only thrive if its people, regardless of rank, respect each other and those they serve with grace, dignity and honor. The fact that such experienced and competent men “volunteered to serve in the ranks” and came “to help” is an excellent testimony to their respect for the mission and each other. The subordination of self-interest to the greater good is not negotiable in a healthy organization.

Respect leads to the sharing of power which means the use of one’s authority to help others be effective. David needed everyone sent to him to make the kingdom strong. The tribal military commanders were willing to share their best men and supplies to see that the kingdom of Israel flourished and grew strong. Merely naming a king does not make a kingdom. The collaboration of its citizens with the king make a kingdom. Many rulers and CEOs have gone down hard by failing to heed this truth.

The collaboration that enlivens the common mission requires effective communication up and down the organizational structure. I’m sure all of us have witnessed the tyranny of “information-is-power” leadership that hoards critical facts and knowledge in the hands of one or a few. Shame on us if we engage in such leadership ourselves. The best people an organization can amass are ineffective if they don’t know the strategy and their part in it.

Competent employees and volunteers are wasted if they are kept in the dark about what’s going on. Withholding information from those responsible for acting on it is self-defeating egotism and a subtle form of patronizing control. It breeds counter-productive resentment and division.

Ultimately a stable organizational function comes down to three interrelated components: mission, resources, and communication. When the men and women that comprise an organization are clear and in agreement about the mission and their role in its fulfillment, when they are realistic and accountable about the resources available in support of the mission, and when they communicate well to keep everyone together in where they are going and what it takes to get there, then an organization lives that is worthy of the name.

It’s easy to point out where others lack these qualities, but so what? Each of us must make the personal choice to help others or to hurt them. Doing nothing in self-protective indifference is to hurt them. The judgment on our souls for all eternity will come down to our choice (Mt 25).

Here is the irony, organizational success depends on our individual choices. Jesus calls us to surrender our individual lives to him in order to gain them as citizens of the eternal kingdom of God. He tells us that to be great, we must be the servant of all (Mt 21:25-27; Mk 10:43-44).

In the final analysis, we are called to willing service rather than to a particular position or role in the kingdom. May the Lord conform our minds and hearts to his purpose.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him (Ps 34:8).

Under the mercy of Christ,

Kent

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Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.

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Kent Hansen is a Christian attorney, author and speaker. He practices corporate law and is the managing attorney of the firm of Clayson, Mann, Yaeger & Hansen in Corona, California. Kent also serves as the general counsel of Loma Linda University and Medical Center in Loma Linda, California.

Finding God’s grace revealed in the ordinary experiences of life, spiritual renewal in Christ and prayer are Kent’s passions. He has written two books, Grace at 30,000 Feet and Other Unexpected Places published by Review & Herald in 2002 and Cleansing Fire, Healing Streams: Experiencing God’s Love Through Prayer, published by Pacific Press in spring 2007. Many of his stories and essays about God’s encompassing love have been published in magazines and journals. Kent is often found on the hiking trails of the southern California mountains, following major league baseball, playing the piano or writing his weekly email devotional, “A Word of Grace for Your Monday” that is read by men and women from Alaska to Zimbabwe.

Kent and his beloved Patricia are enjoying their 31st year of marriage. They are the proud parents of Andrew, a college student.