WEDNESDAY, JULY 03, 2024
Eugenio Viassa Monteiro
Reading this text of the Book of Kings (First Kings 3:4-13) in the Bible, I was struck by the request of young King Solomon to God once kingship was passed to him: ‘Now Yahve, my God, you have made your servant king in succession to David, my Father. But I am a very young man, unskilled in leadership.
God said, Ask what you want me to give you.
So give your servant a heart to understand how to govern your people and discern between good and evil. How could one otherwise govern such great people as yours?
And God granted Solomon his request: Since you have asked for this, God said, and not for long life for yourself or riches or the lives of your enemies but have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself, here and now, I do what you ask. I give you a heart wise and shrewd as no one has had before and no one will have after you.
‘And what you have not asked, I shall give you too: such riches and glory as no other King can match.’
King Solomon, son of David, asks God something puzzling, full of recognition for the great benefits his Father David received, with humility and thankfulness.
As referred, any ordinary king would have asked for riches, success in conquests, knowledge for making new weapons to eliminate opponents, more extension of his dominions, good rains and crops, and vast and varied cattle. And maybe in a particular way, enemy tribes subjugated to be not a menace to him and his people.
But Solomon asks for wisdom. He is profoundly committed to his present role and responsibilities for the welfare of his citizens, which he has to rule. He asks for a heart to understand how to govern his people, discern between good and evil…,
This petition is full of a deep desire for righteousness. He must have previously, during childhood and later, seen his Father in search of carefully preparing to govern a great people. Naturally, he saw and tried to understand the practice of what his Father, David, frequently did, thinking again and again, sweating till finding what was acceptable. Solomon must have thought and talked to his Father about why one decision was better than others, trying to understand the consequences on the people in concrete circumstances.
Some things are difficult, if not impossible, to teach. However, one can learn when wanting to and being in a genuine disposition. The most we can do is create an environment where it becomes easy to find out what is good and evil and how to practice what is good and avoid what is not convenient. There are many books written on such matters. However, the most important thing is to consider why one is in a high position to judge and decide and then to find out what he convinces is the best for each person and the people in general.
To prepare and open the mind of a future king, it seems essential to make him reflect, proposing the study, analysis and examination of situations in our society with contemporary persons or predecessors, or personalities deserving great admiration because of their prudence to identify and practice right things to help others, to benefit the society.
A reflection on how to apply the theory or a model of thinking in an actual situation, done alone or in group discussion, can give light to understand better what is going on and how to overcome that situation. In a group, understanding and debate can be more prosperous because there is the confluence of different points of view, which help broadly analyse the problem and find vast possible outcomes.
Reading this part of the Book of the Kings made a profound impression on me of the values King Solomon had internalized and guided his actions till now, making him full of humility: But I am a very young man, unskilled in leadership. The usual is to find very superficial people, candidates for a king, more concerned with growing their egos filled with baseless self-admiration. Frequently, these people are convinced they have nothing to learn, as they know everything.
To understand how to govern your people. This is a fundamental approach: first, to find out the needs of the people and then how to deal with them—looking for inspiration and wisdom to go far beyond what people say primarily. There is a need to think and find their potential capacities to develop and grow, become good persons who understand others and be able to do good for all.
How can people grow in sensitivity to the needs of others besides the most immediate ones, such as food and shelter? How do they help accomplish their life goals to make society more humane, where each considers his mission to serve all others through his professional work, done with exigency, knowledge, dedication and generosity?
There is a process of personal growth till attaining maturity, not forgetting the basic instruction –making able to read, write, and deal with arithmetic, etc.- Later, one should centre and learn their neighbour’s needs. A society practising service values and consciously living the demands of justice - visible in loyalty, respect and consideration for others one has to deal with- may help internalize and, therefore, pull their personal development, be in intellectual, moral or spiritual dimensions.
We can understand good and evil with reflection and some prudent guidance. In one case entitled Parables of Leadership, HBS, the guru - contacted by the disciple who wanted to learn how to become an excellent future ruler-, orders him to retreat to a forest, listen carefully and describe the sounds he discerned there. At the second attempt, as the first was not successful, the apprentice says:
Listening more carefully, I could hear what can’t be heard.
Then, euphoric, the guru synthesizes emphatically: Listening to what is not heard is a necessary discipline to be a good ruler.
Only when a ruler has learnt to listen attentively to people's hearts, to listen to their uncommunicated feelings, unexpressed sorrows and unspoken complaints, can he hope to inspire confidence in his people, understand when something is wrong and satisfy the actual needs of his people.
The death of states comes when leaders only listen to superficial words and do not go deeply into people’s souls to hear their genuine opinions, feelings and desires.
(The author is Professor at AESE-Business School (Lisbon), at I.I.M.Rohtak (India), author of The Rise of India)
