David and Goliath: A Management Lesson?

As children, we are often told the story of David and Goliath. David, only a child, is able to overcome incredible odds and ultimately defeat a “giant” named Goliath with just a slingshot. This story is told with a very simple purpose in mind. To encourage us to believe that courage, heart, and determination are far better “weapons” than sheer strength. But do we know the whole story?

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When a story becomes told so many times that it becomes ingrained within a culture, it’s simply hard to ignore. The battle between David and Goliath roughly 3,000 years ago serves as perhaps one of the best examples. This familiar story is told with a simple purpose in mind. To show people that size doesn’t matter and you don’t have to be a “giant” or mighty warrior like Goliath to be successful. We often compare situations to a “David and Goliath” like clash; especially in the modern business world. But there’s a bit more to this story worth exploring with a few lessons for management teams.

Here is the short version of what happened that day…

The land surrounding Jerusalem during biblical times was heavily contested and endured hundreds of years of war. In the sixth-century, the Philistines and Israelites were dead-locked in a valley outside of the city. In an effort to resolve the stale-mate, the two sides agreed to engage in “single combat.” As was traditional in ancient warfare, sending out the “finest” warrior from each side to engage in one-on-one combat was a dignified way to settle disputes without incurring too much blood-shed.

The Philistines sent out Goliath, a 6’9” warrior dressed head-to-toe in shining golden armor. Armed with a sword some historians say was twice as tall as him and massive bronze shield, he was an intimidating foe. He walked out into the valley and angirly called out to the Israelites to send out his opponent.

David, just a shepherd boy armed only with a slingshot, starts walking towards Goliath as the rest of the Philistine warriors look on with shock. Goliath is highly amused and in so many words, says “is this the best you’ve got?” But due to his years of experience using a slingshot to protect his flock from lions, David is unfazed by the situation and picks up a stone and calmly places it in his sling’s pouch. He begins to spin it above his head as Goliath continues to laugh. When he finally lets it go, the stone hurls forward with incredible accuracy and hits him directly between the eyes causing him to fall over dead. We won’t go into how David finishes the story, but the Philistines run away in terror.

This seems like a fairly simple story with a fairly simple lesson, right? You don’t have to always be the “giant” to win. Well, maybe not completely. The traditional version we are told of this story fails to mention several critical things and leaves out some historical facts that play a much larger role in David’s success than we are initially told.

In the historical accounts of Goliath, there are a few things worth noting. Goliath is 6’9”, which is incredibly tall for the sixth century. Many people during this time who were of this stature suffered from acromegaly. Acromegaly is a condition which leads to vision problems and declining cognitive function. When Goliath “walks out into the valley” to meet David, he is led by an attendant; suggesting he wasn’t able to see very well. Even more so, there is a part of the original story where he says to David “come closer to that I may feed you to the beasts of the field.” Could he actually even see David?

As David is walking into the valley to fight, the Philistines are looking on with shock at the Israelites choice of warrior while Goliath just laughs. He seems completely oblivious to the situation in front of him. It’s as if he isn’t prepared at all and has no idea what is about to happen. In fact, he has several seconds while David spun his slingshot around his head to react and protect himself, which he seemed to have little to no interest in doing.

When referring to David, we often say “just a slingshot.” But David’s “slingshot” wasn’t a child’s toy. In ancient warfare, there were three types of warriors. Heavy infantry, cavalry, and archers or “slingers.” Each had their own roles and responsibilities, but the “slingers” were unique in their skillset.

Evidence suggests that some of the finest “slingers” in ancient times could hit their target with precision at more than 200 yards.  But not with just precision, with incredible speed. A stone thrown by an experienced warrior could leave their pouch at speeds well above a MLB fastball. When David hit Goliath with that stone between the eyes, it was a devastating blow. David’s years of experience protecting his flock and the context of warfare during this time are severely overlooked.

But what does all of this mean for modern business management? Are there “David and Goliath” situations that need reevaluating? Are we overlooking what gives someone the ability to become successful?

If you are a new business owner, it’s likely you’ve experienced the challenges of creating a niche in your chosen market with limited resources. You’ve probably even wondered how you can compete with companies who have much larger budgets and an already established client-base. But money doesn’t necessarily equate to an advantage for business owners when it comes to establishing value or attracting customers.

Similar to Goliath, a company can have all of the “golden armor” and “bronze shields” they choose to put on, but there still has to be an underlying value or benefit to their products or services for them to be successful. Businesses should focus on what works best for them and the advantages they do have. Without an understanding of where you actually stand and how your company is different, it becomes hard to remain viable.

David also didn’t have the “golden armor”that Goliath did; But, what he did have was the right armor. He was able to use his particular skill-set to his advantage.

It’s important for management teams to harness the power of this idea as well. Sometimes it isn’t about stature or resources, but rather about focusing on skill-set. There are countless businesses out there who operate with limited budgets, but still compete on a large scale. They do so by focusing on the value they do provide and maximizing the benefits their products or services give customers. Successful businesses know they have “just a slingshot,” but wield it in a way that allows them to compete with anyone.

While there’s quite a bit more to this story and an even longer list of lessons and symbolism that can be drawn from it, it’s important to remember a few key things. Defeating “Goliath” doesn’t require a massive amount of money or resources. All that is required is a “David mindset” Focus on what you do best and approach every situation with humility. How can you provide value to your customers? What do you do best? Why are your customers your customers? Once you are able to answer these types of questions, you’ll be able to overcome more and more obstacles and the limiting beliefs that hold far too many of us back.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can start leveraging the advantages you do have and overcoming the “Goliaths” in your life, visit the following link today: www.jengaudetcoaching.com