The time my boss asked my team to leave the room

His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings. (1 Samuel 25:3)

After being introduced to Nabal and Abigail, we learn that David, God’s anointed future king, came to Nabal with a request for compensation after his men had faithfully protected Nabal and Abigail’s sheep and servants. But Nabal refused. So David took 400 of his men armed with swords to confront the “surly” man.

One of the servants came directly to Abigail saying, “Disaster is hanging over our master [Nabal] and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him” (1 Samuel 25:17).

Nabal built a culture in which his team could not talk to him. But Abigail created her own culture with the team that welcomed news—even news of doom—which allowed her to masterfully deescalate the conflict with David (see 1 Samuel 25:18-42).

There’s a lesson embedded in there for you today: Great, godly leaders create cultures that welcome bad news, even if they’re not leading from the top of the org chart. 

How can we do that well? Here are three ways.

#1: “Whisper wins and shout mistakes.”

If we want others to share bad news before it’s too late, we must lead by example, bringing bad news we are responsible for into the sunlight. As Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings says, leaders should whisper about their wins and shout about their mistakes.

#2: Beg for bad news.

Do this by regularly asking team members questions like “What’s one thing I can do to be a better leader of this team?” or “What do I need to know that you think I might not want to know?” And then, once you ask, shut your mouth. Embrace the awkward silence. And when your teammate inevitably gives a quasi-non-answer, ask again.

#3: Preach the gospel to yourself regularly.

One of the most embarrassing moments of my career came when I was CEO of a tech startup, walking my Board through a business update. I was breezing through some bad news quickly when the Chair of the Board asked my team to leave the room. 

I was certain I was about to be fired. But instead, this man pointed me to the gospel. He reminded me that I was an adopted child of God. And because of that, I had no need to fear hard truths.

Nothing will make bad news easier to hear than regularly hearing the good news of the gospel. And when your team sees you receive bad news without panic or punishment, they’ll keep bringing it. 

So meditate on the cross today. Then you will be like the righteous people Psalm 112:7 speaks of who “will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”