David's lessons on leadership - Tragic Heroes

In a series of posts, I am going to reflect upon what we can learn about leadership from David, King of Israel.  If this is the first post in the series you have read, please do a quick review of the January 2, 2009 blog titled  “David’s lessons on leadership – Intro”; that post outlines why I am looking into David’s life.

The previous blog dealt with the impact of the support of one person, the change that occurs in our lives and leadership journey when we have a “Jonathan Moment”.  This post deals with the topic of “Tragic Heroes”

For this topic we go back to a time before Saul knew David, a time when Saul became king.  There came a point in Israel’s history when pressure emerged to centralize government into a kingship.  This pressure was largely from the threat of Israel's neighbors, especially the Philistines, whose victories had resulted in the destruction of the central sanctuary at Shiloh.  This reason for wanting a king is consistent with a well researched book called “Guns, Germs and Steel” in which author Jared Diamond points out that throughout history, amalgamation of smaller groups or tribes occurs for two reasons; merger by threat of external force or actual conquest.  Examples of merger by threat of external force include the Cherokee nation in the early 1700’s, the United States shifting from a loose set of states to a federal government in the late 1780’s and the central imperial German government of the 1870’s. 

So, the elders of Israel wanted and demanded a visible king be appointed over them.  They wanted to be like the well-organized nations surrounding them and have a leader who could take them to victory over their foes.  They petitioned Samuel and Samuel sat Saul down to tell him he would be king.

As Samuel is telling Saul he will be king, Saul, says to him, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"

Saul starts off so well, asking a fair question, “Why me?”  He starts with the admirable trait of humility, which leaves him quickly as he becomes king.  We first see it leave him when his son Jonathan bursts on the scene and demonstrates the first of what will be a repeated ability to lead an attack.  “Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, "Let the Hebrews hear!" So all Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost”.  Saul takes the credit for Jonathan’s attack on the garrison of the Philistines. We see the fatal flaw in Saul begin to take root.  We know it is pride.  We know it is vanity and the desire for glory.  Saul’s own sense of insecurity will not allow his own son to receive credit. Saul needs the praise.

Saul as king has all the traits that Israel wants in a king, he is taller than most, good looking, strong and comes from a prominent family.  But his pride is his flaw, Saul is like some of the men and women we see attain fame, fortune and glamour only to fall from grace with a character failing.  Saul is a Tragic Hero, the main character in a tragedy who makes an error in his actions that leads to his downfall.  The main characteristics of a Tragic Hero include:

• The hero is led to his downfall due to hubris, or excessive pride.
• The hero discovers his fate by his own actions, not by things happening to him.
• The hero sees and understands his doom, and that his fate was revealed by his own actions.
• The hero is physically or spiritually wounded by his experiences, often resulting in his death.
• The hero is often a king or leader of people, so that his people experience his fall with him. This could also include a leader of a family.
• The hero learns something from his mistake.
• The hero is faced with a serious decision.
• The suffering of the hero is meaningful.

We see it around us today, in the failed institutions, the corporate leaders who forgot about leading, the athletes who disappoint us, and the public servants that betray our trust.  All around us are Tragic Heroes; we watch them fall and we see them suffer.  Here is what we must understand; they are not different from us.  In each one of us is a character trait that keeps us going and gives us fuel, but has the potential to be our downfall.  In each one of us exists a Tragic Hero.  For all are human and all have a flaw; the more the spotlight of the world pierces us, the more our flaw becomes known. 

Recall Polonius' advice to his son Laertes in Shakespeare's Hamlet, “This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man”.

Know your flaw, be true to yourself and know what your flaw can do.  Know that without care we are each capable of joining the ranks of Tragic Heroes.