I know some of you, my faithful readers, are thinking, “Ron has lost it. He’s talking about dead flies and perfume. What does that have to do with leadership?”
Well, I haven’t lost it (not entirely, anyway), so allow me to explain.
In ancient days, if someone forgot to put the lid back on a bottle of perfume, it wouldn’t be long before flies would wander along, land in the perfume, and die. Over time, the dead flies ruined the perfume.
So, if you lived in those days and said to someone, “A dead fly gives the perfume a bad smell,” they would know what you were talking about. It is a metaphor, and you’re talking about a person’s character. Specifically, it doesn’t take a big mistake to ruin your good name. Even a small mistake can have disastrous consequences on your reputable character.
The modern-day equivalent is, “A bad apple ruins the whole bunch.”
The point of both sayings is clear; even minor mistakes can have significant consequences.
I’m sure this is precisely what the writer of Ecclesiastes had in mind when he wrote,
“As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor” (Eccl 10:1).
It only takes one dead fly to ruin a bottle of perfume, just as it takes only a little foolishness to destroy your reputation.
Foolishness is the Opposite of Wisdom
Being foolish is the polar opposite of being wise. You’ve probably met a foolish person or two in your life. They lack good sense or judgment. They are unwise.
- An employee who cheats on his/her expense account is being foolish.
- The married man who has an affair on a business trip lacks judgment.
- The executive who promotes an unqualified employee lacks good sense.
I knew leaders who cheated on their expense reports, had affairs, and promoted unqualified people—throughout my career. In every case, their foolishness outweighed their wisdom and honor. Their reputations were tarnished when their folly came to light.
A Foolish Leader’s Dead Flies
The writer of Ecclesiastes provides keen examples of foolish behavior common among leaders.
The foolish leader is often lazy.
“The fool folds his hands and ruins himself” (Ecclesiastes 4:5).
The foolish leader likes to hear themselves talk.
“Words from a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips” (Ecclesiastes 10:12).
The foolish leader is easily angered.
“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9).
The foolish leader is arrogant.
“The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools” Ecclesiastes 9:17).
The foolish leader doesn’t keep their promises.
“When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow” (Ecclesiastes 5:4).
The foolish leader lacks awareness of their foolishness.
“…I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly” Ecclesiastes 2:12).
So, a foolish leader has a lot of dead flies in their life! They are lazy. They like to hear themselves talk, are easily angered, and arrogant. They don’t keep their promises, and worst of all, they aren’t even aware of their foolishness.
It’s no wonder Solomon said a foolish leader is the opposite of a wise leader.
My bet is you could easily expand on this list of traits of foolish leaders.
Now it’s time to have an honest look in the mirror. Are there times in your life as a leader when you have exhibited one or more of a foolish leader’s traits?
Remember, it only takes one dead fly to ruin the perfume.
More Articles
I have written several articles on a leader’s wisdom. You can find them by typing “wisdom” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #405: How Can We Be Godly Leaders in a Fallen World?
- #329: Three Critical Elements of A Biblical Economic Model
- #230: How Does the Greek Worldview of Work Compare to the Biblical Worldview?
- #175: Responding to the Rabshakeh Who Tries to Destroy You or Your Organization
- #174: A Modern Day Rabshakeh Will Try to Destroy You and Your Organization
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have you worked with foolish men and women with dead flies in their leadership life? How did their leadership affect the organization?
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Category: Personal Development | Wisdom
The dead fly in the perfume is a perfect analogy for how one flaw can ruin everything else. A successful business person who is unkind to people sort of ruins everything else about that person. Fortunately, I don’t wear perfume or cologne but I’ll still keep an eye out for any flies!
I thought the old metaphor was interesting. We use “a bad apple ruins the whole bunch” now, but clearly, this has been a problem for a very long time!
Well said . Wise leaders are a treasure and tend to cultivate more wisdom. Wisdom is the the principle thing – focus on wisdom and all else will tend to witt egg k out.
Thanks, Nancy! I agree wise leaders tend to cultivate wisdom. Sadly, wisdom seems to be in short supply among many leaders today!