The People Who Solve Your People Problems

His name was Benaiah, and he was the person who handled King David’s “people problems.”  Benaiah was a renowned warrior, famous for his storied exploits.  He was the leader of a group of elite mercenaries—essentially the Secret Service of David’s day—charged with the personal protection of the king.  Whenever David had a people problem – and he had several – Benaiah was tasked with the responsibility of resolving the issue. 

Your team should include people who are gifted in resolving people problems.  Benaiah is obviously effective at helping with David’s people problems. David died of natural causes at a good, old age. No one assassinated him. So far as we know, no one even physically harmed him. Benaiah does his job well.

Benaiah then becomes proficient at handling Solomon’s people problems.  He enables Solomon to firmly establish his authority and to govern without significant opposition.

Leaders have always dealt with people problems, and they always will. The human relations issues you and I face obviously need to be handled differently than Benaiah handled David and Solomon’s issues.  Benaiah usually eliminated the problem by eliminating the person.  However, leaders still need assistance from individuals who are gifted in handling people problems.  In the same way that David and Solomon look to Benaiah to set right difficult personnel situations, leaders today are wise to seek help from others.  Leaders need team members with significant relational skills who can help them navigate people problems. Wise leaders recruit such valuable individuals to their organizations then give them the authority to act in ways that are appropriate and effective.

Excerpt taken from Who’s By Your Side? More Leadership Lessons from the Life of King David (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2016).