Servant Leader, have you noticed how many times the "all things new" theme appears in the Bible? This one takes a minute to set up, but if you bear with me, I'll show you why it matters to business.
Let's start in the beginning, with Adam. (Note: we're not arguing the definition of "years" in this post. "Years" is a standard like a hand. It is consistent for the discussion.)
Adam - born in 0, lived 930 years, died in 930 (this is easy math)
Seth - born in 130, lived 912 years, died in 1042
Enosh - born in 235, lived 905 years, died in 1140
Cainan - born in 345, lived 910 years, died in 1255
Mahalalel - born in 415, lived 895 years, died in 1310
Jarred - born in 480, lived 962 years, died in 1442
Enoch - born in 542, lived 365 years, was taken by God in 907
Methuselah - born in 607, lived 969 years, died in 1576* (note the year)
Lamech - born in 794, lived 777 years, died in 1571
Noah - born in 976...
...now this is where it gets interesting. Noah waited 500 years to have children. When he was 500 years old, Shem, Ham, and Japeth were born.
Shem, Ham, and Japeth - born in 1476
The Great Flood occurred when Shem, Ham, and Japeth were 100 and Noah was 600. The "year" was 1576*. In the year of the Flood, every one of Noah's patron ancestors was dead. Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jarred, and Enoch were all gone before the year 1500. Lamech died in 1571, and Methuselah died in 1576 - the year of the Flood.
So, what does this have to do with business?
Leaders, sometimes we have to clear out the cobwebs, wash away the old, and start fresh. God waited for Methuselah to die before opening the proverbial floodgates, but when he did, he left no option. There was no "Plan B". There was no Alternate, Contingency, or Emergency plan. There was only "board the Ark and start anew."
When we make business decisions that require the full support of the entire organization, sometimes having a Plan B is more harmful than burning the boats. If everyone isn't on board, then nobody is on board. And while not every business decision requires full compliance, those that do must be met with complete corporate commitment, otherwise, your Plan B might just sink the Ark.
