1. Noah: Leaders do what’s right even if they are alone
In Genesis 6, God is despairing over
the wickedness that has overtaken humanity. Reluctantly, he decides to wipe out
the human race and start from scratch. Noah, however, is the only one who has
not been corrupted. You know the story. God tells him to build an ark that will
save him, his family, and a whole host of animal life. As he is boarding the
ark, God says to him, “for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in
this time.” Literally the whole world was doing what was wrong. But did that
deter Noah from doing what was right? Not a chance!
2. Abraham: Leaders embrace the unknown
God approaches Abraham in Genesis 12
and tells him to “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from
your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.” In other words,
Abraham is instructed to leave his comfort zone and march onward into
uncertainty. As business leaders, that’s a hot topic: managing risk and
uncertainty. Great leaders embrace that uncertainty, because they know the
truth: the promised land awaits them on the other side.
3. Joseph: Leaders endure in spite of circumstances
The story of Joseph beginning in
Genesis 37 is powerful. The guy had a pretty tough life. He was sold into slavery
by his jealous brothers. His father was told that he was killed by a wild
animal. He was framed by his boss’s wife because he refused to sleep with her
and was thrown into prison. He interpreted the dream of a prisoner who was
released and restored to his position, but the guy forgot about him. In the
end, though, Joseph became the leader of all Egypt–second only to the Pharaoh
himself. When there is a famine, he is then able to save his family from
starvation. He tells his brothers when he sees them again that, though they
meant harm, God orchestrated the events to put Joseph in a position to save
them. Leaders have a vision that sustains them through difficult times.
4. Moses: Leaders stick up for their people
Yes, it’s true. God has to be very
convincing in order to get Moses to take action in Exodus 3. He at first gives
excuse after excuse as to why he isn’t the right guy for the job. When he
finally does answer his calling, though, Charlton Heston–err, I mean Moses,
approaches Pharaoh and boldly passes on the iconic message: “Let my people go.”
The Israelites, Moses’ native people, had been enslaved by Egypt and Moses was
the one enlisted to lead them to freedom. When the time came, Moses was willing
to step up and lead.
5. Joshua: Leaders rule by example rather than command
In Joshua 24, after leading his
people into a new land, Joshua offers the Israelites the option to either A)
serve the God who they had always served, the one who had brought them into the
land or B) serve the gods of the surrounding lands. “But as for me and my
house,” he says, “we will service the Lord.” The people answer in unison that
they will pledge their allegiance to God. Because they believe in Joshua’s
leadership, they follow Joshua’s example. He doesn’t have to threaten them; he
merely inspires them by his example.
6. David: Leaders are not afraid of giants
Everybody knows this story. In 1
Samuel 17, the Israelites are being defeated by the Philistines and their
9-foot tall giant–Goliath. Goliath taunts the Israelites and challenges them to
send him one man and, if that man should defeat him, the Philistines would
become their servants. David, a small shepherd boy who will not even fit into
the armor he is provided, volunteers. When Goliath mocks him, David says, “You
come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name
of the Lord of hosts, whom you have taunted.” With that, he takes a stone,
slings it at Goliaths forehead, and knocks the giant to the ground–dead. In
other words, you can face any challenge as long as you have conviction and
strength of resolve on your side.
7. Isaiah: Leaders rise to the occasion
In a vision Isaiah has in Isaiah 6,
God asks who he should send as a prophet to His people. Isaiah responds, “Here
am I. Send me!” Leaders don’t wait to see if anyone else is going to step up
when something needs done. They take initiative. They are first to raise their
hands. First to stand. First to speak up. First to make decisions. Leaders shun
inaction and are always ready to take the plunge at a moment’s notice.
8. Daniel: Leaders maintain their resolve without regard for
consequences
Many of us know the story of Daniel
in the lion’s den. Daniel, in Daniel 6, is a highly esteemed government
official whose colleagues become jealous. Seeking to get rid of him and knowing
that he is a religious man, his colleagues convince the king to enact a decree
saying that prayer can be made to no god except for the king. Once the decree
is made, Daniel continues on praying and giving thanks to his God just like he
always did. When he is caught, his colleagues tell their king and he is forced
to throw Daniel into the den of lions. The next morning, the king finds Daniel
alive. The lions had not harmed him. The point? Daniel’s faith in his God is
what made him great in first place. Knowing this, he would not recant
regardless of what happened to him. Great leaders follow this example and
maintain steadfast in their convictions regardless of what happens.
9. John the Baptist: Leaders aren’t afraid to call out the phonies
John the Baptist, in Matthew 3, is
baptizing people and preaching about the coming of Jesus. When a pretentious,
self-righteous group of religious officials comes for baptism, he calls them
out for what they are: “a brood of vipers.” Leaders aren’t afraid to call it
like it is. Whether they are suppliers, employees, or even customers, leaders
have what it takes to be brutally honest with the people they come in contact
with.
10. Jesus: Leaders are servants
One of the most powerful images in
the life of Jesus is when he washes his disciples’ feet in John 13. When he is
finished, he says to them, “You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right,
for so I am. If I then, the Lord and teacher, washed your feet, you also ought
to wash one another’s feet.” Jesus, of course, isn’t talking about feet. He’s
talking about servant-leadership. Great leaders focus on serving those who
follow them. Great leaders wash their people’s feet.
11. Peter: Leaders recover from failure
Peter, the most well-known disciple
of Jesus, denies even knowing Him three times while Jesus is being crucified.
Jesus had predicted he would do it, though Peter insisted he would never deny
Jesus–even to the death. When the rooster crows (what Jesus said would happen),
Peter realizes what he had done and weeps bitterly. In Acts 2, we see Peter
giving the first sermon after Jesus’s ascension into heaven–to a crowd of
thousands of people when he had previously denied Jesus in front of just a few
days earlier. Leaders don’t become discouraged when they fail. They don’t
wallow in self-pity and give up due to the mishap. They pick themselves back up
and continue on. Leaders do better next time.
12. Paul: Leaders are passionate for what they believe in
Paul, throughout his life recorded in
Acts, is a very zealous individual. As a Pharisee, he violently opposes the
spread of Christianity, going out of his way to see Christians killed and
imprisoned. When Jesus appears to him in Acts 9 and changes his mind, he
becomes equally adamant about the truth of Christianity. Paul travels across
all of the known world, spreading the message about Jesus and establishing
churches everywhere he went. Leaders are driven by a sense of purpose. Leaders
have a fire lit under them and feel compelled to accomplish their objectives.
There is no place for apathy in the life of a leader. Leaders always care…and
care deeply.
Have you had the opportunity to
implement any of these leadership practices? What leadership qualities do you
see in the characters of the Bible? What about from other works of literature?
We’d love to hear your feedback!
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