Leadership and Allegiance: Saul's Tragic Choice
1 Samuel 18 – The Peril of Misplaced Allegiance
Over the years as a securities lawyer, I enjoyed meeting with executive teams to discuss their financing needs. Their funding and capital raises were always tied to a plan, some long-term visions, others desperately short-term. "We need this much equity to drill that many wells," or "We need to raise this much debt to refinance expiring debentures." I loved the meetings where a grander strategy emerged - the IPOs, where a company could showcase its innovative solution, cutting-edge technology, and world-class team.
It doesn't take long to discern the character of an executive team and the true quality of their plans. Almost any company can get listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange or even the London Stock Exchange. But it takes something far bigger and grander to thrive over the long haul.
We see the same principles play out in Scripture. Lately, I've been reading through 1 Samuel, and Saul's life is such a profound tragedy. Like so many management teams I've encountered, you can spot the lack of godly character and the place of their ultimate allegiance sometimes immediately.
I remember one Calgary-based client especially well. This husband-and-wife co-CEO team had developed a groundbreaking technology that was being deployed worldwide. True innovators. He was the visionary tech genius; she handled the administration with sharp precision. But man, was she rude, extremely abrasive, and as arrogantly confident as any client I encountered. Confidence is good, but this woman had zero humility. She was the smartest person in the room, and she made sure everyone knew, down to the exact placement of commas in the prospectus we filed for their IPO.
They started the company in the 1990s, went public in the early 2000s, and soared to a peak valuation of around $1 billion on the TSX. But the grand plans never materialized. Hemorrhaging cash the company was eventually swallowed up by a large foreign firm for a fraction of its peak value. Sad. Tragic. And, unfortunately, all too common.
We witness the same hubris in Saul's downfall. God endowed him with immense gifting, authority, and responsibility, yet he chose his allegiances so poorly. He wanted power and worldly position - earthly rewards. Like my difficult tech client, Saul made grand promises but failed to follow through. Shortly after consenting to David marrying his daughter Michal (1 Samuel 18:27), Saul schemed to have his servants, and even his own son Jonathan, assassinate David (1 Samuel 19:1).
Where Does Your Team's Allegiance Lie?
What about the executive team in your organization? Where do their allegiances truly lie? Are they humble servants like Darwin E. Smith, the Level 5 leader who transformed Kimberly-Clark from a failing paper company into a global powerhouse in the 1970s and 1980s, so well described by Jim Collins? Or are they brash CEOs whose allegiance is to no one but themselves?
It matters deeply because it matters to God. Any endeavor of eternal value must align with His goodness. As business leaders, take deliberate steps to ensure you are right with God and that your entire team is composed of men and women of godly character. Jim Collins calls it "Level 5 Leadership," but it's really just a timeless biblical principle: godly character.
I'm increasingly convinced of the consistent trajectory God is revealing in Scripture: Seek and love Him above all else. We must daily realign our allegiance. Our Creator deserves to be the grounding center of our thoughts, purpose, and plans.
All day. Every day. In mundane errands and grand endeavors. In casual lunch invitations and high-stakes IPOs.
Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. (Psalm 119:1–3)
God is with those who love Him and seek to honor Him in obedience. King David demonstrated unwavering resolve, fortitude, and fidelity to God while serving in Saul's treacherous court. Saul had publicly set the reward for killing Goliath (1 Samuel 17:25). But desperate men say bold things in the heat of crisis; their true character emerges in success and victory. That's another thing I love about securities regulation. Companies forecast what they will do, and then you can see quarter after quarter how well they did. Transparency and accountability are godly principles.
I've seen false promises and short memories it far too often in boardrooms: People make choices that dishonor God, all for more money, easily justifying objectively abhorrent actions. They promise staff and investors such and such, and when they don't deliver, they move on. People notice, investors notice, and most importantly, God notices. I believe the biggest expansion of the Kingdom of God occurs upon widespread repentance of sin, fidelity to Christ as King, and opposition to the enemies of God.
As soon as David defeated Goliath, Saul didn't hail him as a hero. Instead, he sneered derisively, "Whose son is this young man?" (1 Samuel 17:55) - as if to say, "You're a nobody, and I am the king." God saw it all. And as Jesus reminds us, nothing escapes His notice (Luke 12:2).
Men, Hold Fast and Lead Well
Brothers, I know how brutal it is to labor under weak, callous, calculating schemers. In my 28 years practicing law, I've seen far too many. They abuse power to claw their way ahead. We spot it easily in politics, but it's often harder to discern in boardrooms, and even in churches.
Keep going. Hold tough. God will come through. The road to hell is indeed paved with bishops and princes. Lead anyway. Do the right thing anyway, for God is with you.
Jesus will return, but until that day, we must press on: build, serve, and love people. Christ is our King. Our market capitalization, if you will, our reward is an eternal reward (Rev. 22:12).
Evil men will answer to God for their abuse of others and shameless self-promotion. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), as clearly defined by our Creator and Savior. Pray for those men to repent and turn to Jesus while there's still time. May they abandon sin and run to God today.
And pray that Jesus raises up good men - you - to boldly lead your families as God desires. God calls us to be humble, faithful stewards. He requires those who love Him to carry their cross and serve well (Luke 9:23).
Lord Jesus, show us Your way today. Make us articulate and clear in our leadership decisions. You alone are our God, and our allegiance is to You alone. Amen.
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