LEADERSHIP DEVELOPS DAY-BY-DAY

Blog: Max Dawson
June 26, 2017
I believe it was Maxwell who first said, “Leadership develops daily–not in a day.”
The story of Joseph in the Old Testament bears witness to that truth. His case shows what can happen when the right things are practiced day-by-day. Joseph became one of the great leaders of all time and was used by God to further His purposes. But the key is in understanding that Joseph became a great leader. He was not born as a leader. In fact, there were several things in his life that were obstacles that had to be overcome in order to be a leader.
Here are three things he overcame. See these examples from .
1. He was his father’s favorite; that often produces brats, not leaders.
2. He was unfairly treated by his brothers; he could have turned to self-pity.
3. He was framed and forgotten in prison; he could have turned to bitterness.
However, here are three things that helped Joseph overcome obstacles in his life.
1. He developed and demonstrated competence in Potiphar’s house.
2. He exhibited unswerving faithfulness to God on a daily basis.
3. He demonstrated patience and integrity in dealing with others.
There was no single event in Joseph’s life that made him a leader. It was a long, slow process–13 years, from the time he was 17 up to age 30. But, at 30 years of age, he was prepared to be second to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt.
It was what Joseph did day-by-day that prepared him for leadership.
THE FINAL WORD
I like the story of Calvin Murphy. Murphy was a basketball great, playing guard for the Houston Rockets (1970-1983). Prior to his pro career, he was an All-American in high school and college. Though he was only 5’9″, his quickness and defensive skills made him the envy of every small guard in the NBA. He was the Rockets all-time scoring leader until Hakeem Olajuwon broke his record. Murphy still holds the record for most consecutive free-throws.
He was once asked by a reporter on KTRH (Houston radio) what it felt like to have such “natural talent.” Murphy was incensed. He told the reporter there was nothing natural about it, but that the skills he had were the result of years of practice and hard work!
Murphy had invested thousands of hours in training to make him the player he was. His skills were result of growth–what he had done day-by-day since he was very young. If he had not spent countless hours on an empty court with no one watching, he would never have played in a packed arena with 20,000 watching.
There are plenty of people who would like to be a star on the court, but they are not willing to do the everyday things that will prepare them for that. Leadership develops by doing the right things day-by-day…every day.
Blessings to you, my faithful friends,
–Max