Problems are part of every leader’s life. Effective leaders do not let problems paralyze them; they know that solutions usually exist. Read Genesis 37:5-36; 39:1-41:16.

Joseph dealt with everything from being tossed in a pit by his brothers and left to die, to being sold into slavery and transported to a foreign country, to false imprisonment and yet these problems did not stop him. Joseph could have taken any of these “problems” and lost faith in his situation and in God. It would be very difficult to imagine how long the last two years in prison seemed to Joseph after the release of Pharaoh’s cupbearer who had promised to speak to Pharaoh on Joseph’s behalf because Joseph had correctly interpreted his dream. If Joseph had put his faith in people instead of God, this incident could have crushed his spirit.

The story of Esau, Jacob’s older twin brother, paints a powerful picture of a leader without vision. Read Genesis 25:29-34; 32:3-23 and 33:1-20.

Esau loved the outdoors from early life and was a skilled hunter and a rugged outdoorsman. His story is that of a leader that lived completely in the present, depending on his own strength and resources and he repeatedly made shortsighted decisions.

If leadership is influence, then people have a natural form of leadership that can be seen almost from birth. Read Genesis 25:26-32:32.

Jacob wielded great influence from the very beginning. He turned Isaac’s household upside down. In Genesis 25 his mother Rebekah, having a difficult pregnancy, inquired of God and found out that the older son, Esau, would serve the younger son Jacob. Now in this culture, that news will stir things up. Later, when seeking a bride, Jacob’s presence and influence turned his uncle Laban’s household upside down.

A leader who can solve problems will have influence. We would like to believe that this influence would be positive but that is not always the case. When a leader solves problems from a core of bad character or with the wrong motivation and selfish ambition they will become a negative influence. Read Genesis 16:1-16.

Abraham and Sarah had a problem. They were past the child bearing age and Sarah was barren. God had promised them offspring that would grow to be as numerous as the sands of the seashore and the stars in the sky. It did not appear God’s promise could be fulfilled unless Sarah took matters into her own hands. Sarah saw the problem and felt compelled to solve it. Sarah decided that God’s promise to Abraham could be solved through a child from her servant Hagar.

Similar to our education system, every leader will be asked to pass certain “tests” before there is a promotion to the next level. We have all been in situations where we were given a little to manage and as we proved we could handle the tasks, pressure, budget, timeline, manage the team, etc. we were given more responsibility. For the Christian leader, God provides tests as measures of progress in our character, our trust in Him and our willingness to serve out of love for Him and people. Read Genesis 22:1-18.

God called Abraham to climb Mount Moriah and sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. The very same miracle son he and Sarah had waited their whole lives for. God’s test to see if Abraham was qualified to become the father of the Hebrew people was to make Abraham choose between Him and his beloved son. Only after Abraham passed the test in his heart (and in his attitude) did God provide a replacement sacrifice and spare Isaac. Just a side note – Abraham’s trial foreshadowed what God intended to do with His one and only Son thousands of years later (the replacement sacrifice for each of us).