One of my favorite examples of leadership comes from the Old Testament story of the prophet Joshua, who inherited the mantle of leadership upon Moses’ death. As Joshua stood before the Israelites, he surely had some doubts. Now that Moses was gone, what would the Israelites do? Would they respect him, or would they rebel? If the best predictor of future behavior is always past behavior, Joshua must have understood there was only a slim chance that his countrymen would choose to follow him.
After all, if Moses himself had a tough time keeping this unruly bunch together, what chance did he have? But despite the odds being against him, Joshua refused to compromise. He was not interested in a middle way. No, rather than trying to build coalitions, Joshua stood before the crowd and called on the people to make a choice.
He challenged the nation: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve!” Joshua’s clear message was that the time had come to make a decision. He demanded that those willing to follow him stand for something. He expected them to be “bold and courageous.
” But Joshua knew he had to set an example. He had to lead. He was obligated to talk the talk and walk the walk.
He had to be willing to practice what he preached. He had to be a man of integrity. So, rather than just issuing the challenge, Joshua revealed his character.
He showed he was willing to take a stand. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” he bellowed. Joshua didn’t wait.