Page 210 - The Bible On Leadership

196 THE BIBLE ON LEADERSHIP

But whether you’re in modern Los Angeles or ancient Palestine,
leaders do not just appear—they need to be developed. Noel Tichy
writes that organizations can develop leaders at every level only if other
leaders teach them both the theory and the practice, especially the latter,
because you can read many books on how to walk on water or lead
people across the desert without increasing your competence in either
area. Tichy calls this mechanism—whereby one generation of leaders
develops the next one—the ‘‘leadership engine.’’ 1
But the ‘‘engine’’ is anything but automatic. The most successful,
long-lasting organizations make a conscious effort to develop leaders in
every generation. King David started to develop his ‘‘inner circle’’ long
before they were needed and before he even took power. Pursued by
Saul, he escaped to a cave, where ‘‘all those in distress or in debt . . .
gathered around him, and he became their leader.’’ (1 Sam. 22:1–2)
Later, many of these men would become members of David’s cabinet
and the future leaders of Israel. When leadership development and suc-
cession planning were performed conscientiously, the nation prospered.
When these practices were performed poorly or neglected, the nation
suffered through a succession of leaders who lost sight of the mission,
oppressed the people, and reverted to idol-worship.
The worst curse, which occasionally came to pass, is uttered in Isaiah
3:4: ‘‘I will make boys their officials, mere children will govern them.’’

THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP

DEVELOPMENT

The leaders of the Bible, as well as today’s most astute business and civic
leaders, wanted competent, mature leaders with the right priorities and
values following in their shoes (or sandals). That we now have over a
billion followers of Judaism and Christianity and millions of synagogues
and churches with a well-organized, planned leadership process is a tes-
timony to their legacy.
But there are some corporations that are just as ‘‘religious’’ about