What Training Should a Manager Undertake?
“Lord, what is the best training to be a great manager or leaders?” I was thinking the Lord might give me a great answer such as being a priest, rabbi, or imam as an example.
The Lord looked at me and shook his head. “No, but that can provide some good framework, but I like a better profession.”
I had all these ideas in my head. Maybe a teacher, phycologist, or even a Noble Prize winner. I decided to drop off the last item on my list as I realized that very few people can win the Noble Prize, so it had to be something else. But then I remembered how we had talked about being a shepherd of both people and words. The first thing that came to my mind though was whether there really were any shepherds left in the world. I though there must be some in New Zealand.
“Bingo, Sam. If you look at all the top Israelite leaders, well they were all shepherds. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David were all great shepherds. Jacob, for example was an inside guy. Yes, he was a shepherd, but he spent his time learning when he was not in the field. In contrast, his brother Esau was the consummate outdoorsman who would have loved shopping at Cabella’s. Thus, it would seem that Esau would be better suited for leadership because he was a fighter. He was a hunter, and a darn good one.”
“In contrast Sam, Jacob was more interested in learning. He learned whenever he could and in different environments. Esau honed his skills in a singular manner- to kill in order to survive. Jacob was more interested in bettering himself through study along with working in the field. For someone to be a great manager they need to be able to learn from various individuals and environments. They must constantly strive to learn rather than feel they have perfected their art. A manager needs to constantly strive to obtain information, inspiration, and knowledge from the broader world. Being a shepherd was more than a career choice. It was a lifestyle. It entailed a lifetime of learning and exploring. It entails contemplative action. It entails solitude to figure out who they are and what is important to them. It entailed looking after the weak. Moses searching for the lost lamb is a perfect example. It is having the broader knowledge and the ability to leverage compassion to make the world better for a little sheep or for subordinates.”
“Sam, Esau did not have the broader context and perspective as can be seen where he called the porridge “red stuff.” He did not take the time to smell it, examine the contents, ask what was in the pot, or other valuable questions. This limited knowledge helped differentiate him from his brother. Similarly, even though Joseph was not a shepherd, he understood the importance of such a career path. Joseph had reached the highest level of accomplishment. He was almost the Pharaoh. He had wealth, status, and power. Yet he was very clear with his brothers. Before he introduced them to Pharaoh, he told his brothers to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds. Yes, they were shepherds, so it was not a lie. And yes, shepherds were despised by the Egyptians. But he was saying something more than that his brothers were people who looked after sheep. He was saying that his brothers were men of the world who were worldly in their understanding of others.”
I was wondering if there should be a shepherd’s hall-of-fame or maybe an Idiot’s Guide to Shepherding to convey all this information.
“There’s other shepherd in the Bible who rocked their profession, Sam. In I Samuel 17:34, the future King David told then King Saul he was a shepherd. Other examples include Amos 3:12, Micha 5:5, and Nahum 3:18 where some of my greatest leaders started out as shepherds. I know I am throwing out all these citations at you Sam, and I will forward them to you…Oh, you got them all down in your notebook. I normally don’t talk this way, but if someone were to challenge you, well you now know where to find the proof to challenge them.”
I still could not conceptualize a shepherd in today’s day and age. But I got what the Lord was saying. We need leaders who guide us with our best interest in mind because it represents the leader’s best interest. On top of that, shepherding others is a holy undertaking. But it must be a tough decision managing people and their egos compared with sheep. I imagined the sheep from the cartoon Wallace and Gromet and how passive they were. But it also dawned on me that shepherds are also professionals who have been undertaking their job for an extended period. Day-in and day-out they got used to their responsibilities and sat at the foot of an experienced older shepherd who trained them.
“Lord, I’m wondering how new shepherds, such as preppers or untrained homesteaders received their training?”
“The answer, Sam, is a combination of YouTube videos, web pages, books, articles, mentors, college courses, and trial and error are just some learning tools. They make mistakes and hopefully learn. More importantly, they try to become craftspeople who hone and refine their skills. When they do not know what to do, they get help. Asking for help from a variety of sources is one of the most important skills I value, but do not see as often as I would like. I wish managers and leaders would not be shy in asking for help. It is one of the best skills to learn- it embraces humility and serves as an effort to get to the truth.”
“But what I like the most Sam, is learning from others. A person is supposed to learn from others. That is how stories tracked for so many millennia from one wise person to others. Shepherds were trained by older, wiser, more experienced shepherds. Even today, many people learn from others. The big difference is that today many people think they can apprentice under someone else for a year and know everything they need. Think about Joshua. He ministered under Moses for over 40 years. He was always loyal, always at his side, always ready to help, and patient. Boy was he patient.”
I was still trying to figure out how to convince current executives to abandon their current job and learn shepherding.
“Son, shepherding is just a metaphor for caring for others. Everyone can learn how to be a better person. How to be holy. How to treat others with respect. Similar to how a shepherd needs to protect all in their charge, a manager, in whatever industry, has to have the same mindset and dedication. When a manager learns how to protect others, enforce the rules in an even-handed manner, and provide proper praise, they have become shepherds to those in their charge.”
The idea dawned on me…maybe I should buy a farm and start a shepherding school for city slickers to help train future business and organizational leaders.
“Sam, maybe I can give you and advance for that effort. I can just see it now…. “God and Sam’s farm. No that won’t do…maybe something to do with Little Bo Peep…I can get my team on that one and see what we can do.”
