Joseph
The Decision-Making Leader
The Strategic Leader
Joseph is classified in two different categories of leadership. He is known as both the Decision-Making Leader and the Strategic Leader. He also demonstrates two very strong temperaments, both Choleric and Melancholy. His Choleric temperament lends itself to making decisions and doing what it takes to get the job done. The Strategic Leader stems from his Melancholy temperament that causes him to be more of a perfectionist and to spend more time refining the plan before jumping right in.
A number of the strengths of both of these kinds of leaders are shared. Joseph was a wonderful administrator. Look at the trust that Pharaoh placed in him to lead Egypt through the time of famine! People from all over the surrounding areas came to ask Joseph’s advice. He was a strong problem solver and he was able to make decisions that needed to be made. He was very confident and willing to hold people accountable for their decisions. There were several times in his life that Joseph could have compromised, but he continued to stick to the values and beliefs that God has placed in his heart. Those characteristics qualified him to lead even when no one else was really sure why Joseph was leading.
Some of Joseph’s weaknesses were revealed because of the times that he relied too much on information that others had given him. Many times that information was faulty or incomplete. Many of the people that Joseph worked with before weren’t used to having a strong leader. He was definitely affected by bad timing on a number of occasions. Joseph always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time! He often took the blame for things that were not even of his own doing. He expected more out of others than they were capable of. His frustrations often came as a result of the lack of motivation of those surrounding him. This started with his brothers and followed him all the way until his service alongside Pharaoh.
The Decision-Making Leader and The Strategic Leader both have a place in every aspect of ministry as they help plan and execute the battle plan and implement plans to rise above challenges. They are great recruiters and promoters and tend to function really well as pastors and staffers involved with stewardship and church growth. They also tend to be the number crunchers and the ones that want to know the latest trends and projections.
Some of the threats that accompany these leaders include the fact that they are often blamed for failure. Past failures, wrong decisions, and poor information tend to crop up when they lose sight of God’s plan and begin following their own agendas. They can be “over-organized” which leads to inflexibility and alienation of team members. That can also cause people to lose their trust in these kinds of leaders.
The Decision-Making Leader and The Strategic Leader will be most successful when they are living the words of John 15:4, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” Joseph was a wise manager and someone that people could trust. His life continues to be a model of integrity and faith for believers today to look to. He continued to believe that God had a great plan for his life and lived according to that belief. He was successful in convincing others to follow God because of the love he showed them while living out God’s plan for his life.