Leadership Lessons from Eli's Sons

There's an old story in the book of Samuel about two men named Hophni and Phinehas — sons of Eli, the priest. They held positions of spiritual authority. And they abused every bit of it. They took the best portions of offerings for themselves before the sacrifice was made. They exploited women who served at the tabernacle entrance.

But the detail that stops me cold isn't the sin itself. It's the consequence. The text says their actions caused people to despise bringing offerings to the Lord. People didn't just lose respect for Hophni and Phinehas — they lost respect for the entire act of giving.

That is the most devastating thing a leader can do.

Leaders Influence How People Feel About Giving

I don't just mean financial giving, though that's included. I mean giving of any kind — time, energy, talent, trust.

When a leader acts with integrity, people give freely. They volunteer. They invest. They go beyond what's asked because they believe in what they're part of. When a leader abuses their position — takes more than their share, prioritizes personal comfort over collective mission, treats people as resources rather than partners — something breaks in the givers.

They don't just stop giving to that leader. They stop giving altogether. They become cynical about organizations, causes, institutions. "They're all the same," they say. And you can't blame them. They gave in good faith once, and someone took advantage.

I've seen this in churches. I've seen it in businesses. I've seen it in nonprofits. One corrupt leader can undo years of trust that dozens of good people built.

If I have to be successful as a leader, I need many people who come together — contributing their time, skills, money, and faith. No action of mine should ever cause them to feel as if they've wasted their time, money, and efforts. That's not just bad leadership. It's a kind of theft you can't repay.

Leaders Influence How People Behave

The second thing Eli's sons did was lead people into immorality. They didn't just fail privately — they brought others into their failure. This is where positional influence becomes genuinely dangerous.

People model what they see in leadership, whether leaders intend it or not. If a leader cuts corners, the team learns that cutting corners is acceptable. If a leader lies to clients, the team learns that honesty is optional. If a leader treats people with contempt in private while performing respect in public, the team learns that hypocrisy is just how things work.

Not even in secrecy must I lead anyone into wrong behaviour. That's a standard I hold for myself — and I'll be honest, it's a terrifying one. Because it means there's no "off-duty" version of leadership. The way I treat a waiter when no team member is watching still matters. The conversation I have behind closed doors still counts. The compromise I make in private still shapes who I am in public.

What This Means Practically

In my IT business, this means transparent pricing, honest timelines, and admitting when we've made a mistake rather than burying it. It means never exploiting a client's lack of technical knowledge to oversell services.

In my church, this means handling finances with absolute openness. Every rupee accounted for. Every decision documented. People entrust their tithes and offerings to leadership — that trust is sacred.

At SEEDS, our palliative care trust, this means every donated supply goes to patients. Every volunteer's time is respected. Every report is accurate. When donors give to a cause, they're trusting that their generosity will reach the people who need it. Betraying that trust doesn't just hurt the organization — it makes people hesitant to give to the next cause that asks.

The Weight of It

Leadership is not a privilege to enjoy. It's a weight to carry. Eli's sons treated it as a buffet — a chance to take the best cuts for themselves. And the result was institutional collapse. People stopped coming. Trust evaporated. The entire system crumbled.

I carry this story with me into every meeting, every service, every patient visit, every client call. Not out of fear, but out of clear-eyed awareness: the influence I hold is not mine. It's borrowed. And the people who contribute — their money, time, trust, and energy — are not resources to be extracted. They're partners to be honoured.

The day any leader forgets that is the day the offering becomes despised. And rebuilding what's lost takes a generation.