Oppression is not a good long-term strategy. That seems obvious, but achieving short-term compliance at the expense of long-term loyalty is so seductive that it is a perennial temptation.
Many years after Israel’s death, his descendants had become numerous. They were hard workers, but they had not assimilated into Egyptian culture, and Pharaoh viewed them with suspicion. In order to keep them under control, he increased their workload and appointed harsh taskmasters. But his strategy backfired. “The more they afflicted them,” Exodus says, “the more they multiplied and grew” (Exodus 1:12). After Moses demanded some relief, Pharaoh responded by increasing their workload again and attempting to pin the blame on Moses and Aaron (Exodus 5:1-14). It worked at first but ultimately resulted in their exodus from Egypt.
Two Book of Mormon kings illustrate the different outcomes from leading by persuasion or by compulsion (see Doctrine and Covenants 121:41, 46).
- Benjamin emphasized that he had spent his days in the service of his people, laboring with his own hands to keep their taxes low, so that “there should nothing come upon [them] which was grievous to be borne” (Mosiah 2:12-16). As a result, his people loved him and followed his counsel spontaneously (see Mosiah 5:1-5).
- Noah, in contrast, “did walk after the desires of his own heart,” taxing his people excessively in order to support himself and his friends in a lazy and gluttonous lifestyle (see Mosiah 11:1-15). His abuses of authority led not only to his own overthrow and execution but also to his people’s captivity.
Leadership by compulsion is like trying to squash a drop of mercury with your thumb. It seems simple enough, but it never works. Sustainable leadership flows naturally, “without compulsory means” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:46).
Today I will lead by persuasion. I will remember the examples of Pharaoh and Noah, who tried to solve problems by oppression, only to discover that the problems multiplied.
Leave a Reply