In Daniel 6, we have the rather famous story of Daniel in the lions’ den. The new king, King Darius, decides to outlaw all forms of worship save one: people may worship him. Daniel, a Jewish man living in Darius’ kingdom, refuses to comply and faces the consequence—being thrown into a den of hungry lions. As we encounter the chapter, we tend to focus on Daniel, his faithfulness in the face of persecution, and God’s divine intervention to save him. However, Darius’ actions in this chapter illustrate three, key lessons for leaders.

1. Leaders keep ego in check

Daniel 6 presents us with a King who decides to have everyone worship him for 30 days. No other gods may be worshipped, nor may anyone pray to other gods. All worship, adoration, and supplication is to be presented in name of Darius. Now, the genesis of this decree rises from the recommendation of his advisers. A recommendation which surely stroked the King’s ego. Afterall, whose ego wouldn’t be boosted by entire nation worshipping them?

So, Darius’ fails to keep his ego in check and, therefore, makes a bad decision. The idea of being an object of worship, a god among men, is too enticing. So, he rushes headlong into his decision. The lesson is obvious: ego makes bad decisions. Leaders acknowledge the role ego plays. They recognize our natural propensity toward self-aggrandizement, our need to be recognized, our desire to be adored. With that in mind, leaders keep ego in check when making decisions.

While modern life may not present an opportunity as grandiose as Darius’ decree, leaders still face the temptation of ego. We see it when leaders wonder, “How will this decision make me look,” before asking, “Is this the right decision?” We see it in leaders whose plans revolve around self-promotion and impressing other people. In the end, it is the same ego, the same drive to be praised.

2. Leaders consider second and third order of effects.

In military planning, we talk a lot about first, second, and third order of effects. A first order effect is the intended effect of any given action. Say, destroying a power plant in order to deny power to a nearby enemy installation. Second orders of effect cascade from that first effect. When we destroy the power plant, what else loses power? Perhaps a nearby village also loses power. The third orders of effect are those that flow from the second. What effects will loss of power have on the village? Perhaps a hospital won’t be able to function, or wells will be unusable. Leaders weigh each of those effects when determining if the benefit a target is worth the cost.

Darius does not think of anything but the first order of effects. He seems to only think, “This decision will give me my proper praise from the people.” We see this limited focus in his response to Daniel’s prayers. Once Daniel breaks the new ordinance, Darius sets about trying to free him—a sure sign that the King regrets this second order of effect—Daniel may die.

3. Leaders act swiftly to correct mistakes

Throughout my military career, I hear a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” The point is simple: while the right thing is ideal, it may not always be clear. In that case, making no decision yields the initiative whereas a bad (read: poorly informed) decision keeps initiative on your side, and allows you to course correct as necessary.

This may be the only laudable part of Darius’ decision. He does act quickly (though, it should have been obvious his decree was not the right thing to do). When confronted by the unexpected 2^nd and 3^rd order of effects, he quickly corrects course.

Now, there is one common denominator to achieving all three of these leadership practices. It is the practice of humility. Humility is the combination of an honest self-assessment, an outward focus, and a teachable mindset. The practice of humility is taking action that reflects those things. So, practicing an honest self-assessment keeps ego in check. Practicing an outward focus keeps 2^nd and 3^rd order effects in mind, and practicing teachability means paying attention for errors and committing to learn from them.