July 29, 2026

Business by the Book

I Chronicles 12:38 All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

The tenth and last leadership trait that we see in the men who assembled to make David the King of Israel is that they were prepared to give their all for the task at hand.

Their all may mean their life. These men were prepared to live or die trying to accomplish their goal. Your job, your goal, or your task may not be a matter of life or death, but it is a matter of preparing to give your all for its completion.

Sports fans want to see the members of their favorite sports team give their all in every game. Citizens want their elected officials to give their all while representing them in the office to which they were elected. Church members want their pastors to give their all to their calling. And leaders usually are prepared to give their all to accomplish the task at hand. Sometimes this is called zeal, sometimes passion, sometimes hunger,  sometimes “fire in their belly,” sometimes zest, or eagerness, but it all means the same thing: giving one’s all.

Mark Twain once said, “If a person is not fired with enthusiasm, they ought to be fired with enthusiasm.”   Enthusiasm is a characteristic of giving all. In Scouts I was privileged to attend many high adventure camps and outings. One thing I learned from those experiences is that if you don’t give your all you will not get much out of the opportunity. In football I realized early on that if I didn’t give my all and become the hitter I would become the hittee. In marriage, if you don’t give your all it will not be a pleasant experience. And in business giving one’s all seems to be a prerequisite for success.

The men we have been learning from for the past ten days have taught us much about leadership. Nothing we have learned is more important than giving one’s all. Success may or may not come, but doing all you can, giving all to accomplish the goal is a reward in and of itself.

Dr. William Howe