Page 114 - The Bible On Leadership

100 THE BIBLE ON LEADERSHIP

effective communication. This is particularly true if the ideas are new
or if they represent a new paradigm that the audience finds difficult to
understand or that represents radical change.
Paul, who truly represented a new and ‘‘foreign’’ paradigm (Chris-
tianity), addressed the synagogue in Thessalonica not just for a brief
‘‘guest sermon’’ but for three successive Sabbath days. Even though he
made some converts, many who heard him stuck with their old beliefs.
He needed to repeat his message many more times and in many differ-
ent ways before he would recruit large numbers of converts.
Modern business leaders, particularly those who are also introducing
or explaining new paradigms, also need to use the technique of repeti-
tion. Writing in Fast Company, Tom Peters observed:

Leadership takes an almost bottomless supply of verbal energy: working
the phones, staying focused on your message, repeating the same mantra
until you can’t stand the sound of your own voice—and then repeating it
some more, because just when you start to become bored witless with the
message, it’s probably starting to seep into the organization. 15

We do not know whether leaders like Jan Carlzon of Scandinavian
Airlines and Percy Barnevik of Asa Boveri Brown ever became ‘‘bored’’
with their message. Certainly we know they had to repeat it many times
in many forums; if they did not become bored that is a testimony to the
strength of their dedication and vision.
Although the Bible is highly repetitious, and the leaders in it had to
repeat themselves frequently, a search for the words bored or boredom
in the Concordance of most Bibles yields few or no references. Paul’s
instructions to his young subordinate Timothy show large amounts of
perseverance and no presence of ennui: ‘‘I give you this charge: Preach
the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke,
and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.’’ (2 Tim.
4:2–3)
The inspired leaders, biblical or modern, find repetition an indispens-
able communication tool, and may even come to find this repetition
part of their inspiration, because it fuels progress toward the targeted