I Samuel 10

Hook

You’ve just raised your Series A. The term sheet is signed, the press release is drafted, and the "visionary founder" narrative is being polished by PR. But in the quiet moments between board meetings, you feel like a fraud. You’re the same person who was stressed about runway six months ago, and now, suddenly, you’re expected to be a "leader" of a hundred people. You are the Saul of your startup: anointed by the VCs (the Samuel of your story), yet hiding among the baggage because you know exactly how mundane the "donkeys" were that you were chasing just yesterday.

This isn't imposter syndrome; it’s a reality check. The dilemma is the gap between your internal state—the person who knows your own weaknesses—and your external mandate—the role you must perform. If you pivot too hard into the "Founder" persona, you lose your humanity and become a caricature. If you stay too humble, you fail to lead. I Samuel 10:22 shows us Saul hiding among the baggage while the people were casting lots for a king. He wasn't avoiding the job; he was wrestling with the transition. As a founder, you need to learn how to inhabit the role without letting the role consume the person.

Analysis

Insight 1: Strategic Stealth and the "Need to Know"

When Saul’s uncle asks him about his trip, Saul says, “He just told us that the donkeys had been found” I Samuel 10:16. He omits the kingship. This isn't lying; it’s business discretion. Malbim notes that Samuel anointed Saul in private to avoid public suspicion of rigged outcomes I Samuel 10:1. In a startup, you cannot share every "anointing" or strategic pivot with every stakeholder, investor, or even every early employee. There is a "time for everything," and premature disclosure of major shifts can trigger internal politics or skepticism before the vision has time to take root. Your job is to know when to disclose and when to keep the "kingship" conversation between you and your inner circle until the market is ready for the news.

Insight 2: Competence through Transformation

Samuel tells Saul that when he encounters the prophets, the spirit of God will grip him, and he will "become a different person" I Samuel 10:6. Ralbag observes that Saul had no prior experience with prophecy; this was a fundamental shift in his capacity. In scaling, you will be forced into roles—CFO, Head of Sales, Chief Product Officer—that you have never held before. You cannot fake this. You must actively cultivate "other-heartedness." This means radical learning and allowing the business environment to force your growth. If you are the same leader at 50 employees as you were at 5, you are failing your company. The "signs" Samuel gives Saul are the milestones—the evidence that you are actually growing into the role the market requires.

Insight 3: Leading Through Scorn

When Saul is declared king, "some scoundrels said, 'How can this fellow save us?'... But he pretended not to mind" I Samuel 10:27. This is the ultimate test of executive maturity. Every founder faces the "scoundrels"—the early hires who think you're unqualified, the competitors who mock your product, or the disgruntled investors. Saul’s choice to "pretend not to mind" (or "hold his peace") is a masterclass in emotional regulation. You don't lead by engaging with every detractor or defending your ego in the Slack channels. You lead by staying focused on the "baggage" you were meant to clear and the kingdom you are meant to build. Your KPI here is low-friction resilience: the ability to ignore noise so you can preserve your energy for the pivots that actually matter.

Policy Move

Implement an "Executive Transition Audit" (ETA) every 90 days.

Founders often fall into the trap of "founder-trap," where they hold onto tasks because they haven't "become a different person" yet. Following the logic of Samuel’s signs, you must formalize your own evolution. Every quarter, perform a self-audit:

1. The Donkey List: What mundane, tactical tasks am I still doing that I should have outgrown? (The "donkeys" were yesterday’s problem).
2. The Prophetic Pivot: What is the one skill I am currently the "worst" at in my leadership team, and what is my 90-day plan to become proficient in it?
3. The Scoundrel Filter: List the negative feedback you’ve received. If it’s personal, archive it and "pretend not to mind." If it’s strategic, integrate it into the next board deck.

This creates a cadence of structured growth, ensuring you aren't just "playing king," but actually developing the leadership muscle to sustain the company.

Board-Level Question

"As we scale, we are moving from a phase of 'chasing donkeys'—managing day-to-day survival—to 'the monarchy'—setting long-term strategic direction. Looking at our current leadership team, where are we still 'hiding among the baggage' of our early-stage habits, and which of those habits are now actively preventing us from occupying the 'head taller' position the market demands of us?"

Takeaway

You were anointed to lead, but you were formed by the donkeys. Never forget where you came from, but never let your past define your ceiling. When the spirit of the market demands a new version of you, don't hide—step out from the baggage. The scoundrels will always talk, but the "upstanding men whose hearts God had touched" I Samuel 10:26 will follow the leader who has the courage to change.