Leadership lessons, connected with faith and wisdom.

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The Character of Leadership: Ezra

In this study of the character of leadership, I find myself thinking about “the character of characters.” A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from Ezra.

It’s going to be fair to say that the book of the Bible that has had probably the greatest influence on my leadership in the last 15 years is the book of Ezra. I even wrote a book about it! It all started when I came across a specific verse, Ezra 7:10, which says, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” (‭NKJV‬‬) I remember when that verse jumped out at me, and I found personal significance in the meaning of it.

Ezra, the person, does not actually show up until about halfway through the book that bears his name. The book itself is the story of the return of the people of Israel to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and restore the people’s relationship to God. In the first half of the book, Zerubbabel leads the people of Israel back to Jerusalem during the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia, to rebuild the temple. Because of the obstacles they faced, it took years before that was accomplished. It is after that was done, that Ezra leads a second group of people back to repopulate Jerusalem, and to restore the heart of the people to God.

There are a lot of leadership lessons that I have drawn from the book of Ezra, and from the life of Ezra himself, all of which you can read in my book, “Leadership Ezra,“ available on Amazon, but I think the foundational characteristic for Ezra‘s leadership is found in that verse, Ezra 7:10. In this verse, we see how it is that Ezra had prepared himself for the responsibility he would be given.

In this single verse, there are four things that we can learn. First, he had prepared himself. It was intentional, and something that he actively participated in and pursued. Before he even knew what responsibility he would have from the Lord, he had done the work and taken the time to prepare himself for whatever that would be. In the same way your leadership doesn’t happen by accident, but rather as a combination of how you have prepared yourself and how God has prepared you. Second, his preparation began with building his knowledge, learning the right things in order to prepare himself for when the need would arise. As a follower of Jesus, it’s critical to note that the foundation of his knowledge base was knowing God. He studied scripture and spent time cultivating not only his knowledge of God, but his relationship with God. His knowledge gave him the capability to lead. Third, he practiced what he preached. He lived what he knew, and believed in the practices and actions of his life, this reflected integrity in his character, and gave him the credibility to lead. Finally, out of his capability and credibility, he stepped up and taught the people from what he knew, he showed the people from how he lived, and he led them to where they needed to be.

What a great lesson for us from the character of this character. In the same way, you can prepare yourself to lead by learning, living, and then leading from who you have become in that process. This is true generally speaking about who you are as a person, but I hope you will take it to the deeper level that Ezra did, and make it the model of leadership that stems first and foremost from a deep relationship with God. Just as it says about Ezra in Ezra 7:10 – prepare your heart, learn it, and live it, and then you can lead.

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Podcast, Season 2, Episode 44: The Character of Leadership: Ehud

In this study of the character of leaders, I find myself thinking about “the character of characters.” A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from one of the judges of Israel, Ehud.

Here is the link to the podcast.

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The Character of Leadership: Ehud

In this study of the character of leaders, I find myself thinking about “the character of characters.” A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from one of the judges of Israel, Ehud.

Although I am certain that I read through this part of Judges before this, the story of Ehud first really caught my attention in a grad school Hebrew language class, when the final exam consisted of translating Judges 3:12-30 from Hebrew to English. I ended up going back and rereading the story and was fascinated that I hadn’t ever given it any attention. Over the years, when I taught junior high and high school students, it was a great passage for me to use to get this age of students interested in reading and engaging with the Bible. This character, Ehud, was unique, and his story reveals some fascinating character traits, and one of the best ones for us to learn from is that he knew how to use his strengths.

What made him unique was the fact that he was left-handed. It’s not clear in Scripture, but given the culture of the time and place in which he lived, it may have been because his right hand was disabled. Regardless, he was not viewed as a threat because of this physical attribute. So when the Israelites had been captured and were being oppressed by the Moabites, he was chosen to bring tribute to the king of Moab (it’s worth noting that God had chosen him as the deliverer of the people, therefore, even if the people didn’t recognize this, his selection was part of God’s plan). Because he was left-handed and not viewed as a threat, he hid a dagger under his tunic, strapped to his right thigh. And here’s where the story gets wild.

After meeting with the king, he asked for a few minutes to speak privately with him, so the king sent everyone else out of the room. The king then went into his “cool private chamber,” which may have meant he went to the bathroom. While there, Ehud came into the room, said “I have a message from God for you,” pulled out his dagger, and stabbed the king in the stomach. The Bible states that the king of Moab was a “very fat man,” so much so that the 18-inch dagger disappeared into the king’s belly, and he died. Ehud left, closing and locking the door behind him. The king’s servants were afraid to unlock the door because they thought the king was doing his private business, so by the time the king was discovered as dead, Ehud was long gone. With the king dead, Ehud returned to his people and led them to victory in battle against the Moabites.

Can you see why this story captured my attention and was such a great teaching tool for junior high and high school students? There were a number of lessons from this story that I would use for students, but there is one in particular that is relevant for leaders, and it’s this: use your strengths. Ehud could have tried to be like everyone else, but his strength was in his left hand, not his right. Using his own strengths, which were different than others’ strengths (and could have even been considered a weakness in someone else), enabled him to succeed in the way and in the place that his strengths were needed, and therefore enabled him to work at his best. What a great lesson for me and you. Know who you are and how you operate, know what you do well and what you don’t, then use your strengths so that you can function at your best. That’s the example of Ehud’s leadership from which we can learn. The character of this character is a reminder to us that we need to lead from our strengths.

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Podcast, Season 2, Episode 43: The Character of Leadership: Jacob

In this study of the character of leaders, I find myself thinking about “the character of characters.” A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from Jacob.

Here is the link to the podcast.

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The Character of Leadership: Jacob

In this study of the character of leaders, I find myself thinking about “the character of characters.” A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from Jacob.

I love that one of the accompanying ideas in the Bible that goes along with its inerrancy is the fact that the Bible tells the truth about people. It doesn’t sugarcoat what happens, and it doesn’t ignore the bad or the ugly It doesn’t paint biblical characters as superheroes or as models of perfect perfection (outside of Jesus), but portrays who they really are and what they really experienced, both the good and the bad. Jacob is one of many characters about whom that is very obvious.

From the moment of his birth, Jacob seemed to be selfish, conniving, and deceitful. He was fighting with his brother before he was even born. As a young man, he took advantage of his brother to take away his birthright. With his mother‘s help, he deceived his father to take the blessing that was supposed to go to his brother. He deceived his father-in-law to get the best of the sheep as his own. Now, to be fair, he wasn’t always the instigator or initiator, like when his mom pushed him to get his brother‘s blessing or when his father-in-law tricked him into marrying a different daughter than the one he asked to marry. But his faults are still glaringly obvious.

However, one of the positive aspects of his character that is revealed in his journey is his tenacity. He worked for decades to get the woman he wanted as his wife. He spent a long time carrying out a plan to grow his herd of sheep. But his tenacity became most obvious when he was returning home after years away, but before he got there, he wrestled with an angel of the Lord (perhaps the Lord himself?). His tenacity was on full display when he wrestled all night to win favor from the Lord, and it didn’t end until the being that he was wrestling with touched him and dislocated his hip socket. In that experience, his name was changed to Israel, and he became the father of sons who would become the tribes of Israel.

There are things that we can learn from the character of this character, and, like a lot of people that we learn from, they can be negative traits or characteristics. But I would challenge you to focus on his tenacity, his unwillingness to give up even when the fight has been long and tiring. Plans don’t usually come to fruition quickly, so they require someone who can envision the long-term outcome and will stick to it, even when obstacles threaten to derail it. Yes, there are times when you need to change direction, or throw your plans out and start all over, but at the same time, there will always be obstacles and opposition that threaten a plan that needs to be carried out. Have the kind of tenacity that Jacob had, standing strong and moving forward, and see the blessing that the Lord will bring. If you are going to take anything from the character of this character, take his tenacity.

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Podcast, Season 2, Episode 42: The Character of Leadership: Joseph

In this study of the character of leaders, I find myself thinking about “the character of characters.” A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from Joseph.

Here is the link to the podcast.

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The Character of Leadership: Joseph

In this study of the character of leaders, I find myself thinking about “the character of characters.” A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from Joseph.

I am starting this discussion with a story of one of the schools where God called me to serve. The specific ministry in Christian education to which God had called my wife and I was to participate in the healing and restoration of Christian schools, and we saw that in every school where God sent us to serve. In one school, that involved helping wounded people heal from broken trust. In my first year at that school, I made it one of my primary goals to restore trust, and I almost cried at the end of the school year when, in a review of the year with teachers, almost everyone identified trust as one of the top positive takeaways from the years. I share this because I think that trust is essential to effective leadership, and I also think it is a prime character trait of the biblical character, Joseph.

Joseph was young and immature when he aggravated and alienated his brothers, to the point that they intentionally chose to remove him from their family. He ended up in Potiphar’s house, where he earned the trust of Potiphar so much that he was given decision-making authority over everything in the household. However, he was betrayed and falsely accused, resulting in broken trust even though he had done nothing wrong, and was sent to prison. In prison, he earned the trust of the jailor so much that he was given decision-making authority over everything in the prison. However, even though he earned the trust of not only the jailer, but also some fellow prisoners who worked for the Pharoah, he was forgotten. Eventually, he was given the opportunity to earn the trust of the Pharoah so much that he was given decision-making authority over everything in the kingdom.

The point is, Joseph built trust. He did it by doing what he said he would do, and doing it right and with excellence. That doesn’t mean that everyone with whom he built trust was just as trustworthy in return. In fact, he built trust with Potiphar, but then was betrayed. He followed that by building trust with the jailer and his fellow prisoners in prison, but then was forgotten. You might think that he would give up, give in, and quit trying to be a trustworthy person because of these experiences. However, even though he himself was demonstrating trustworthy character, his trust was in God, not in others. So when others let him down, he was not shaken because his character wasn’t contingent on their response, but on God’s protection and provision. Ultimately, his experiences were steps in the journey of building trust with the Pharoah. The end result was that his trustworthiness put him in the position of being able to rescue his family when crises came.

There are two things I think we can and should learn from the character of this character:

  1. Be worthy of trust. Be a person of integrity who does what you say you will, doing it with excellence, and thereby earning the trust of the people you follow, the people you lead, and the people who are working with you. When they know they can trust you to do what is right and to keep your word, they are much more likely to follow you.
  2. Keep your trust in God, not in others. People will let you down, but be trustworthy anyway. When they break your trust, look at God and look for what He is doing, trusting that in all circumstances He has your best interest in mind as part of His plan.

So, the primary lesson we learn from the character of Joseph? Be trustworthy – someone in whom people can trust – but let your trust be in God.

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Podcast, Season 2, Episode 41: The Character of Leadership: Joshua

In this study of the character of leaders, I find myself thinking about “the character of characters.” A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from Joshua.

Here is the link to the podcast.

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The Character of Leadership: Joshua

In this study of the character of leaders, I find myself thinking about “the character of characters.” A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from Joshua.

For most of us, when we think about Joshua, there are probably two things to come to mind. The first is the encouragement that he received from God recorded in Joshua chapter 1, and most notably verse 9, which says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” That verse is printed on wall art, shared in devotionals, and often used as a challenge for boldness. The second is his role as the military leader who led them in a successful conquest of the promised land. After Moses passed away, the mantle of leadership was transferred to Joshua, and he led the people with the strategy of dividing and conquering, leading them to victory and then claiming the land as theirs, followed by dividing the land between the tribes. On a side note, it’s interesting that the 24 chapters of Joshua can be divided in half, with chapters 1-12 describing how the land was divided and conquered, and then chapters 13-24 describing how it would be divided and settled.

However, starting Joshua’s story there is like starting the biography of George Washington at the point in time when he became the leader of the colonial military in the American Revolutionary War. There was a whole lot that happened in his life before that point in time that was critical in shaping him into the kind of leader that he would be. In the same way, there are things we learn about Joshua in the Bible before we get to Joshua chapter 1, and it teaches us something about his character that can be beneficial to our leadership.

A simple reading through the books of Exodus and Numbers reveals quite a few mentions of Joshua, and always in the presence or service of Moses. He was chosen by Moses to lead the army in a battle against the Amalekites. He would follow along with and serve Moses when Moses was meeting with God on Mt. Sinai. He would report to Moses on what was happening among the people. He was one of the 12 spies selected by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan, and one of the only two among them who was willing to trust God’s provision of it. At the end of Moses’ life, God instructed Moses to appoint Joshua as the next leader, and called him “A man in whom is the Spirit.”

What do we learn about his character from this? Before he was ever in the position of leader of the people, first he was faithful, teachable, and willing to do the work. He was faithful to God, committed to obedience to God, and committed to a life that reflected godliness. He was also faithful to the task and responsibilities he was given, even before he had leadership authority. He listened to direction, both from God and from his leader, Moses, and grew in his capability because of that, which prepared him for future leadership. He did what he was tasked to do, even when it was hard work. He didn’t try to do Moses’ job, only his own, and worked at doing it well. In the end, the leadership role that he was given was the result of the character he had demonstrated along the way.

The character of this character is a lesson for all of us. Don’t wait until you have been given the position of leadership before reflecting the character that shows you are worthy and capable of leadership. Commit yourself to faithfulness to God and to the task He has given you, intentionally learning as you go and putting in the work to do your job well and grow yourself. If this is your character, when the time and place is right, God will put your next steps of leadership in front of you, and you will be ready. But remember that it doesn’t “just happen.” Rather, there is preparation and work that happens consistently long before you are given leadership responsibility. As the 10,000-hour rule has shown, true greatness doesn’t come without thousands of hours of work and practice in the background, and the same is true in leadership. The life you live and the character you show over time are necessary for effective leadership down the road. Be committed to demonstrating that kind of character regardless of your level of responsibility now, and then lead out of that character when the time comes.

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Podcast, Season 2, Episode 40: The Character of Leadership: Moses

A “character” is a person, often someone who plays a part in a story and is an example from whom we can learn, but it is also a trait or attribute that can be applied to that person and to his/her leadership. When we study the character of that character – identifying biblical characters, and then identifying something in their character that can teach us something about who we are and how we lead – we learn things about the character of leadership that can be applied in our own lives. In this week’s episode, we are learning from Moses.

Here is the link to the podcast.

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