Numbers 12:2-3 “’Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?’ they asked. ‘Hasn’t he also spoken through us?’ And the LORD heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)”
Moses’ accomplishments represented a titanic struggle. They included: his confrontation to get Israel freed from the tyrannical Pharaoh of Egypt; the crossing the Red Sea on dry ground; the powerful army in pursuit defeated by drowning; the leadership of several million people. Naturally Moses’ accomplishments were cause for pride, but instead Moses was humbled by it all. Moses had his faults and failures with years of difficulty. He had forty years of crisis, leading difficult people on an impossible journey. God accomplished His plans through Moses and Moses acknowledged that it was God who made his success possible and that he was humbled by it all. This was the attitude that won him the success that is still celebrated thousands of years later and the awarding of the title that God gave Moses, the most humble man on earth.
Principle: Business and financial success usually produce jealousy and pride rather than humility. Pride goes before a fall.
Gary Davidson peaked out in a memorable project with a new World Football League and pride played a part in it. On opening night at Anaheim Stadium, Gary drove up to the premier parking spot at the stadium right next to Gene Autry’s space (then owner of the Los Angeles Angels).
Davidson’s photo was on the cover of 50,000 programs. He had been on the cover of Time magazine as the “Sport Entrepreneur of the Year.” He and his family took their place in the premier box seat of the stadium that night to view the opening game of the new league.
All these represented years of hard work getting the league started, raising the funds, and the endless details of a huge undertaking. His comment to his wife was, “It can’t get any better than this. We’ve made it to the top.”
Six weeks later the league was in shambles due to bad planning and marginal business practices. The spotlight of investigative publicity exposed it all. The dream was over before the first season had hardly begun. Davidson was broke, his hopes were vanished, his personal investment of millions was worthless, and his marriage was gone.
These six realities surprise most CEOs: 1. You can’t run the company; 2. Giving orders is very costly; 3. It is hard to know what is really going on; 4. You are not the boss; 5. Pleasing shareholders is not the only goal; 6. You are still only human.
That last one is true for us all. May that truth keep us all humble.
Discussion:
1. Have you ever had a colossal failure? Describe
2. Have you ever had a great success, that you took credit for? Describe.
3. Have you ever had second thoughts about what brought on the success?
