6 Leadership Principles From The Old Testamentعينة

Adjust to the law of enduring negativity. 

In the shortest book of the Old Testament, the prophet Obadiah warns the nation of Edom that their gloating over Israel’s troubles must stop. Their mockery of God’s chosen people is about to call down His wrath. Ironically, the fathers of each nation were brothers—Jacob, who birthed the Israelites, and Esau, who founded Edom.

This tiny book reminds us of the staying power of negativity. The international vendetta grew out of sibling rivalry, which began when Jacob deceptively stole Esau’s birthright. Jacob attempted reconciliation many years later, but Esau’s bitterness ran too deep. It lived on in his descendants, who gleefully watched their brothers suffer God’s judgment.

This law of “enduring negativity” is alive and well today. Jealousy, bitterness, and other kinds of negative bias exhibit unusually long shelf lives. Grudges are held way too long. Vengeful posts permeate social media.

In The Subtlety of Emotions, the author writes, “People ruminate about events inducing strong negative emotions five times as long as they do about events inducing strong positive ones.”

Has the world conditioned us to camp out on negativity? The news media certainly focus on the negative, playing to our captivation with conflict, tragedy, and the dark side of humanity. 

We can’t deny the human tendency to nurture negative feelings, and as leaders, we can’t force people to be positive all the time. We can provide peaks of positive energy, but inevitably their personal fears, biases, and emotions return. 

When we accept this fact, we can be better prepared for negativity. It loves to live just below the surface in some people, and it’s easily stirred.

But the more positive we are as leaders, the more we'll keep that cynicism from breaking out.