Joseph was thirty when Pharaoh put him in charge of the land of Egypt. What an incredible rise to power this was for Joseph; sold into slavery thirteen years ago, imprisoned for two years, and made ruler over a powerful nation after interpreting Pharaoh’s disturbing dreams! The fact that only God could orchestrate such a development was not lost on Joseph.
Joseph was a consummate leader, and what he did during the “seven years of abundance” saved Egypt and the surrounding countries from disaster. Four verses in Genesis 41:46-49 summarize his brilliant work in those seven years.
“And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. During the seven years of abundance, the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced during these seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city, he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.”
Joseph’s trials and troubles prepared him for the position of power and authority God had revealed to him in his dreams. As is often true, Joseph’s success is preceded and greatly aided by difficulty and disappointment. When you think about Joseph, what lessons can we learn from Joseph about leadership in our families, church, work, and other places of influence?
- Joseph knew who he was and whose he was. He knew he was gifted and had matured to a place where he acknowledged God as the Source of his gift. He was no longer the immature teenager who irritated people with his lack of wisdom. He allowed God to discipline and teach him to give honor to the Lord where honor was due.
- Joseph used his authority well. Pharaoh gave him authority over all the land of Egypt, but Joseph realized the king was doing what God had decreed in his dreams seventeen years ago. His authority was from God, and he took it seriously and got to work at his task. With Joseph, there was no hint of pride that some have when they achieve power or fame. What did Joseph do with his authority? See what Genesis 41:46 tells us:” And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.” Each of us has authority in the lives of others, and we live under God’s authority and that of those He has placed over us. We can use our authority to bless others or to hurt them. The decisions we make, the things we say, affect those in our sphere of influence. Like Joseph, we need to use our authority well.
- Joseph had a servant’s heart. Jesus told the disciples, ” Let him who wants to be great become a servant.” Jesus’ purpose in His life on earth was to “seek and to save that which was lost.” So many “leaders” say wonderful things to inspire us, but do very little to do what they say. Not so with Jesus, He laid down His life for us. Joseph understood leadership to mean servanthood and the work that came with it. Good leaders lead by doing, putting effort and action with their words. Do you have a servant’s heart? Where is the evidence that you habitually serve others in your marriage, family, work, and other relationships?
- Joseph was proactive. He saw the problem ahead and took immediate action to address it. The fact that a famine was coming meant he needed to “get ahead” of the problem before it happened. One characteristic of effective leaders is the ability to plan to minimize or avoid the impact of a potential problem. Joseph did this by instituting a plan to store twenty percent of the grain during the seven years of abundance for the drought ahead. This seems like “common sense,” but unfortunately, common sense seems to be in short supply in many places of leadership. This lack of proactive leadership has put our country in debt to the tune of almost $37 0000,000,000 000! The lack of proactive leadership can ruin our families emotionally and financially, devastate our health, sabotage personal relationships, and lead to problems that are almost impossible to correct. Problems do not solve themselves or go away. They do not go away on their own. Proactive people see what may be ahead and plan to avoid the problem altogether or mitigate the pain and damage that can happen. How would you rate yourself as a leader of your family, work, or other relationships? Are you proactive, or are you a procrastinator?
What do you see in Joseph’s leadership style that challenges you to do better? What steps will you take to improve in this area?
In addition to what I have written, are there other qualities in Joseph’s life and leadership that are encouraging to you?