Leadership Seeks to Serve for the Benefit of Others

As our series about leadership lessons that can be learned from the Bible’s story of Joseph comes near its end, it is exciting to find our readers engaging in correspondence about the subject.

Following the theme of the series, we discuss today about another formidable quality of Joseph’s leadership style and how this quality is an innate characteristic of true leadership.

JOSEPH’S LEADERSHIP TO SERVE
"And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he asks you to.” And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold the stored crop to the Egyptians, and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy corn…"
– Genesis 41:55-57

The background of this event tells us why the Pharaoh entrusted Joseph with the enormous project of managing the storage of sufficient rations for the whole populace of Egypt. It was as a result of an interpretation Joseph proposed for the Pharaoh’s dream. While he used his knowledge and wisdom to interpret the dream and delivered the grave news, he gave the Pharaoh a clear way out of the conundrum and offered his services to set the mighty task through. It was a huge responsibility that Joseph was ready to take on, but, from what we know of his personality, it becomes rather obvious that he understood his service was the best option for the Pharaoh and his nation to survive the looming famine. Joseph, like every brave leader, saw his service was the people’s best chance and he offered it without reservations.

TRUE LEADERSHIP IS SERVICE
Peter Drucker once said: "Leadership is doing the right thing."
What Mr. Drucker meant was obvious: leaders choose the path they believe is the right one. When they come to a crossroads, they pick the one they know will take those following them to the promised destination. When they are faced with a challenge, they do not cop out knowing they could play their part in averting a crisis. Instead, their integrity and courage motivate them to do what they can to help. After all, if leadership means doing the right thing, what could be better than carrying one’s fellow men to security, peace, and amenity?

SERVANT LEADERSHIP PRAISED
"I think leadership is service and there is power in that giving: to help people, to inspire and motivate them to reach their fullest potential."
– Denise Morrison

"Earn your success based on the service to others."
– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

"Good leaders must first become good servants."
– Robert K. Greenleaf

"Any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself as a servant of that group and will act accordingly."
– M. Scott Peck