The Leadership Principle of Influence: Joshua Expands His Reach (part 2 of 2)

They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.”
Joshua 1:16

Many individuals who at first seem ineffective as leaders give up. Fortunately for the nation of Israel, Joshua did not give up. He determined to become a better leader. Despite his setback, Joshua continued to be faithful to God and to learn as much as he could from Moses. As a result, Joshua’s influence and capability as a leader grew: 1. Because of his relationship to Moses. 2. With maturity. 3. Because of timing. 4. Because he possessed patience and integrity. 5. Because he was right.

Joshua’s influence grew because of his relationship with Moses. Through Moses’ mentorship, Joshua not only polished his skills, but the people accepted him as their leader. The Bible says that as Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, Moses called Joshua and said to him in front of all of Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.” In this way, Moses imparted authority to Joshua.

Joshua’s influence grew with maturity. Joshua gave basically the same speech he gave forty years earlier. The difference? The second time a mature Joshua spoke to a new generation. The people had seen his leadership skills in action, and his track record as a leader gave them the confidence to follow his directions.

Joshua’s influence grew because of timing. Sometimes a leader wields little influence until his followers want to go somewhere. Only when the Jews tired of wandering in the desert did they heed the words of Joshua. Forty years earlier, the people responded to Joshua’s encouragement for them to go into the Promised Land by loudly suggesting that he be stoned. This time they said, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.”

Joshua’s influence grew because he possessed patience and integrity. Joshua continued to grow patiently even after the people rejected his words. While neither he nor Caleb died in the wilderness, as did all those who had rebelled against God, nevertheless they were both forced to wander in the desert for forty years through no fault of their own. Such an “unfair” turn of events could have turned Joshua into an angry, melancholy, disgruntled, and cynical man. Yet he became none of those things. Throughout the long wilderness journey, he continued to display great consistency and credibility – until at last the people were ready to follow.

Joshua’s influence grew because he was right. From the beginning, Joshua tried to do the right thing. He attempted to lead the people in the right direction. After the Exodus from Egypt, most of Israel considered his words as foolhardy and rash – yet
Joshua’s words stood the test of time. His message never changed, and eventually everyone saw that he was right.

Leadership is all about influence, and Joshua demonstrates that influence comes down to character and conviction, lived out where others can see it, over a significant period of time. How are you doing on this journey of expanding your level of influence?

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