Joshua 1:9
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not
afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest.”
Before my wife goes grocery shopping, she compiles a list of groceries that we need. That list helps her to know what to purchase while she is at the grocery store, and it also helps her to keep us from spending money frivolously. She could certainly go shopping without the list, but she will never completely get what we need without it.
The person who desires to be a leader should look at Joshua because they will see in his life what they will need to be the leader they are supposed to be. After Moses died, Joshua had a great responsibility to continue to lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land. In the verse above, God shows a list of things Joshua needed to be the proper leader for His people. Five things are revealed on this leadership list that you must have, or you will fail as a leader.
First, leadership takes a strong individual who isn’t afraid to make hard decisions. God told Joshua to “be strong.” Leaders have to be strong to make tough decisions. Every decision is not going to be easy. There are times as a leader when the decision you have to make will go against the grain of who you are, but leaders must be strong enough to make those hard decisions. If you are going to be the leader you are supposed to be, you are going to have to stop putting off decisions and be strong and make those hard decisions. People are depending on you as a leader to make the hard decision; that is why they follow you. If you can’t make hard decisions, you don’t need to be a leader.
Second, leadership takes a courageous individual who is willing to step out by faith to do the impossible. God also told Joshua to be of “good courage.” Good leaders are courageous enough to have faith in God to do what the followers cannot see. You can’t wait on your followers to encourage you to act on the decision of faith. You must have the courage to step out by faith and believe that God can help you to do the impossible. The greatest leaders are leaders who are courageous enough to do what others don’t think is possible.
Third, leadership requires a fearless individual who is willing to fight for right. God told Joshua, “be not afraid.” The leader who avoids battles is a weak leader. You shouldn’t go looking for battles, but you must never run from a battle if you are going to be the leader God wants you to be. When truth is attacked, you must be fearless to fight the error so that the lies don’t become the truth to your followers. If you don’t have the stomach to fight battles, you need to step aside and let someone else lead.
Fourth, leadership takes an organized individual who doesn’t let the responsibilities overwhelm them. You will become dismayed with your responsibilities if you don’t get organized. The role of leadership is great, but the way to keep it from overwhelming you is to be organized so you can accomplish what the LORD has for you to do.
Fifth, leadership takes an individual who won’t do anything without the LORD. God told Joshua that He would be with him, and He will also be with you if you walk with Him. The best leader is the leader who walks with God. If you walk with the LORD, you will find the other four characteristics will become a part of the fabric of who you are.