Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day – Part 2

Joseph said to his brothers, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people.” Genesis 50:19-20 Every effective leader needs time to develop, but time alone cannot make someone an effective leader. Some individuals never work at growth. Fortunately, for the children of Israel, Joseph’s difficulties and trials taught him valuable lessons and he began to grow in his leadership skills. As we read in Genesis 37 – 50, he grew in his journey from the pit to the palace. But it was 23 years after his God-given vision before he saw it fulfilled. At the end, Joseph realized that God had directed the process of his leadership development, and that he had been groomed for a much greater purpose than he had ever imagined as a cocky teenager. Let’s review the process Joseph went through in his leadership development: Phase 1 - I don’t know what I don’t know. Everyone starts out in a state of ignorance. Like Joseph, we sometimes say and do things without understanding the interpersonal issues involved. Phase 2 - I know what I don’t know. Something gets our attention. For Joseph, it was a series of trials and difficulties. We come to understand that leadership is difficult and carries with it a huge weight of responsibility. The process of difficulties and trials molds our character, granting us both patience and humility. Eventually, we recognize God as the source of blessing and power. Phase 3 – I know and grow and it starts to show. Leaders who show great skill when opportunities arise, do so only because they’ve paid the price of preparation. Wisdom and discernment are demonstrated and promotion is a likely consequence. Phase 4 – I simply go because of what I know. Leaders develop and execute plans with wisdom and precision. They are aware of the circumstance around them and react by course correcting plans as necessary due to their wisdom, discernment, experience, and open communication channels to God and other godly advisors. From the outside, a leader in phase 4 seems to operate quite naturally. By the time his father died, Joseph had become a Phase 4 leader. He had learned to see things from God’s perspective. Joseph could see God’s hand over all the years of his life. He understood the Lord’s long-term plan for His people, a plan that Joseph helped fulfill by growing into the leader God desired him to be. How about you? Are you growing into the leader that God desires you to be? How do you fit into the Lord’s long-term plan? I can help you answer these questions. Contact me via the email address below or visit my website at http://truthatlife.com/ Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com