Many years ago, I read a book called “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. At the time, it was a veritable business Bible, but now, it’s probably considered outdated. I remember sharing it with my then-boss and father, and we were both amazed at the great advice it offered.
The book analyzed the varied factors that separated good businesses from great ones. There were many factors, but the one that struck me then, and still does now, is that great businesses always have great leaders. But the leaders of these great businesses aren’t the militant, forceful control freaks one would imagine. These leaders do not seek glory for the success of their business. In fact, the best of the best are the leaders you probably have never heard about. Like Anne Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox in the early 2000s. She took the helm of the sinking company when nobody thought it was possible to rescue it and brought it back to life in only a matter of years.
I was reminded of this book and these stories when I read Judges chapter 8, the story of Gideon after the angel of the Lord called him a mighty man of valor. Chapter 8 follows Gideon after God brings the people victory against the Midianites in miraculous ways.
Good to Great or God to Great?
After they won the battle, the people wandered around, collecting plunder. They asked Gideon to be king over them. And of course, knowing that the victory over the Midianites had nothing to do with him, he declined. He said, “I don’t want to be your King, but hey, I’ll take all the gold earrings from the dead, and oh, the gold chains around the camel’s necks.” (I’m paraphrasing here, but you can read it for yourself.)
After Gideon was given all the gold, he melted it down and turned it into an ephod. This is where Gideon’s leadership changes. Because he said one thing and did another. He said he didn’t want to be a king, but he created this dazzling ephod that drew the attention of the Israelites away from God. The Bible says that they prostituted themselves by worshipping the ephod that Gideon made.
Gideon was not a great spiritual leader. And the proof of this was that when he died at a ripe old age, the peace that the people of Israel found evaporated like a mirage in the desert. His body wasn’t even cold before the people began to worship Baal, and the terrible cycle of obedience and disobedience in the book of Judges continued.
Recently, both stories have been weighing heavily on my heart. God is saying something to me about leadership in both stories–those of the great business leaders and the leaders of the Israelites in the times of the Judges.
I am not a leader like Gideon, but I am a leader in my own home. And God is warning me through His words in Judges that my leadership will impact not only my sons but also their sons and generations to come.
There is great responsibility in raising children, and specifically in raising sons. It is not for the faint of heart. Especially now because we are at a time like no other. Our hearts, our churches, and our country are at a precipice. We are at a place where we can jump to new heights, or we can descend to depths we’ve never seen before. And it all hinges on how we prepare our children for what is to come.
And what will make the difference?
The one thing that will make ALL the difference, the thing that can turn a family, a business, or even a nation from good to great is God. Faith in God. Obedience to God. And humility before God.
These are the only ingredients needed to take our work to the next level. Whether our work is in our home or at a Fortune 500 corporation.
The book of Judges is a clear warning about what happens when we fail to teach these simple tenets of success to our children.
When our children grow up not knowing where prosperity and peace come from, poverty and conflict are sure to follow.
