July 21, 2026

Business by the Book

I Chronicles 12:30  And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.

The fourth leadership trait that we see in the men who assembled to make David the King of Israel is that the habit of success breeds success.

Before these men of valor were successful in turning the kingdom of Israel over to David they were already famous. Evidently they were famous because they were previously successful in military endeavors prior to this campaign.

Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying that if there is something you absolutely need to be completed properly and on time that you should find a busy person and give that task to them. This seems to go against all common sense but it works. Busy people find a way to get things done. Likewise, if there is a task that has to be completed successfully and there is little room for failure, find someone who has been successful in the past and give them that assignment. They will probably find a way to get the job done because success breeds success.

This being true, if a person is not enjoying success and desires to, they need to strive for some small measure of success. Being successful in a small way builds confidence from which bigger successes can sprout. A wise manager will help a struggling employee by giving them small assignments that they can be successful with to train them to bring greater successes to the organization.

The men who came to David were already famous before the task at hand. This served as a platform to ensure the future success of this undertaking. After all, in all civilizations and in all cultures, success always breeds success.

Dr. William Howe