Considering the "80-20 Rule"

Within every team, you will likely find that twenty percent of the workers will develop into leaders.  This principle is commonly referred to as the “80-20 Rule” or the Pareto Principle.  This is not a new concept as there is an example of this principle from two millennia ago.  Specifically, from the nineteenth chapter of Luke from the Bible.  

He called ten servants of his, and gave them ten minas, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I return.’  Luke 19:13

TEN servants were given ten minas (the equivalent of two to three years wages) to use in business.  Most people focus on the three servants that are called out in verses fifteen through twenty-four, where we hear the master inquiring about their accomplishments.

The first two servants had been successful and grew their investments by ten-fold and five-fold respectively.  This is “twenty percent” of the ten-servant total.  The third servant hid the talent and did not even try to earn interest on it, whereby the master reprimanded him and took the talent away.  The remaining seven servants are not mentioned, but their omission likely means that they were unsuccessful or had squandered the investment. 

Regardless, this Bible parable demonstrates the “80-20 Rule” based on the two successful servants out of ten who were able to multiply their master’s investment.  We must find those twenty-percenters, those leaders who can help us be successful in our efforts.