When a moment of adversity hits, will you take up arms and face the challenges placed before you? Once you’ve conquered those battles, will you go out seeking more?
If so, you might be what Pastor Mark Batterson calls a “lion chaser,” referring to the biblical story of Benaiah, a soldier in King David’s army, as told in the Book of Samuel. Batterson mines this tale for lessons that resonate in all aspects of life, especially in business, with his book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.
The Story Of Benaiah
On a winter day in southern Judah, Benaiah pursued a lion, ultimately descending into a pit, and, armed with a spear, slaying the lion with his own hands. In Mark Batterson’s book, this story becomes a metaphor for confronting what scares or intimidates us.
Benaiah, Batterson argues, was “wired differently” than most of us. Instead of running from the lion when it attacked, he gave chase for the sole purpose of killing it. Batterson says, “God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time.”
Clearly, it was Benaiah’s destiny to kill this lion, provided he had the courage to follow through on what God had set up. And Batterson sums this up nicely: “No guts, no glory.” Benaiah is the archetypal lion chaser, and Batterson has created a manifesto that lists his defining qualities.
Chasing Lions In Business
Through stories and illustrations, we’re introduced to “lion chasers,” people who engage their problems head-on and then move on to bigger lions — a major lesson of the book. These people are dot-com executives, lawyers, and other professionals who “were scared to death” when they decided to face their fears and chase after their lions.
If these leaders hadn’t tackled the challenges in front of them, they would have spent an entire life wondering “what if?” Chasing lions isn’t easy. In fact, it can be downright terrifying. But on the path to achieving your dreams, you have to be willing to engage with scary challenges.
A lot of the difficulties you’ll experience are common among entrepreneurs. Here are five of the most common fears that business leaders encounter, and how the most successful among us overcome them.
Lions Can Be Personal
Fears don’t just manifest themselves in large-scale concepts and ideas. Sometimes, you have to deal with a very intimate phobia that’s keeping you from being your best, most successful self. Slaying these lions can be even more difficult, because it can involve facing a fear you’ve had your entire life.
But, you can take solace in the fact that every single person struggles with fear. It’s a basic human emotion, and you shouldn’t feel abnormal for having phobias. If you won’t take our word for it, here are some real life examples from celebrities ranging from Richard Branson to Adele.
Now, It’s Your Turn
We challenge you to take a page from Benaiah’s playbook. Don’t wonder “what if?” Step out in faith and courage, and go chase your lions.
