Secret 15,1 / Values / Needs

The story of Joseph

with Joseph from childhood to Egypt

On first page we present, as SGL see it, the ten life phases of the Joseph figure in relation to his leadership and personal development. Here we will reflect on the broader and existential meaning of these same phases in connection with common quality leadership and wisdom.
As a practical approach, you may try to identify yourself with the inner drama of the story. In your imagination, place yourself in the story as Joseph, while asking two simple questions:
“Where am I now?” and. “Where do I want to go next?”

LESSON 15,1

(1) Chosen and Seen

Joseph and the Coat

(Genesis 37:3) Joseph had many brothers, but his father “loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age. And he made him a richly ornamented robe.”

The coat Joseph received turned the traditional seniority principle within the family upside down. Instead, we encounter a principle of equal value, expressed as: equal rank for equal importance. In this respect, Joseph stood out. – For this reason he was chosen and recognized by his father as a bearer of authority, while at the same time being envied and hated by his brothers as a rival.
Seen as a gestalt, the story of Joseph reminds us how leadership becomes visible and confirmed through both recognition and resistance, while the final outcome is judged by value creation and wisdom.
In the following sections you may also reflect on the life journeys of strong personalities such as Haakon VII of Norway, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela in relation to the life path of Joseph—and to our own personal development.

(2) Soaring Thoughts

Joseph and the Dreams

(Genesis 37:9)
Joseph had many dreams, which he shared with his brothers.
“Listen,” he said, “I have had another dream: the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Joseph’s dreams wished him well, just as our own dreams often revolve around ourselves and serve a function in relation to our lives and our well-being.
What made Joseph unique, however, was that by speaking about his dreams he claimed them as his own. In doing so, he transformed them from fleeting images of the mind into something closer to self-fulfilling prophecies in practical leadership.
To dare to say “my dreams” is a necessary step for leadership and for what we might call: Vision management.
What turns dreams into leadership may simply be the courage to show vulnerability and pain when the world judges us for them.

(3) The Encounter with the Wall

Joseph in the Pit

(Genesis 37:23–24)

“When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe with long sleeves he was wearing. Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.”

Joseph’s experience in the pit represents the turning point of life. Only those who have flown high can fall deeply, and only those who survive the depths can ultimately prevail.
This universal life experience is brought vividly to life in the story of Joseph. At the same time we may imagine how this descent into the pit planted the first seeds of the deep sorrow that would accompany the young Joseph throughout his life. – When confronted with death, loss, and betrayal, we are all pushed toward new inner boundaries within ourselves. We speak of the existential leap, the intuitive opening, redemption, and rebirth in relation to the deepest values of life.
The ancient Romans reminded their emperors of this truth with the words “memento mori” — remember that you must die. The same reminder applies to leaders today: Unless we become aware of and work through the hidden and suppressed experiences of our own “pits,” it becomes difficult to develop the leaders we truly need.

(4) Slavery and Apprenticeship

Joseph in the House of Potiphar

(Genesis 39:1–6)
“The Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered. He lived in the house of his Egyptian master. Seeing that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted to his care everything he owned.”

After some time Joseph was lifted from the pit and sold as a slave to a passing caravan. He was taken to Egypt, where Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites.

Joseph’s time with Potiphar became a valuable period of training for the young slave. He had to adapt to a long “desert walk” of routines and learn to use his unique abilities for the benefit of his master.

After great dreams and harsh encounters with reality, we all must learn how to live.
Joseph’s years of servitude can therefore be seen as a picture of the apprenticeship stage that most of us must pass through before we can realize what we truly hope to achieve.

(5) Tempted and Teste

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

(Genesis 39:6–8)

“Joseph was well-built and handsome. After a while his master’s wife cast her eyes on him and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he refused…”

Joseph was discovered and, in a sense, “headhunted” by Potiphar’s wife. Suddenly he found himself under cross-pressure: loyalty to his master on the one hand, and seductive attention on the other.
Joseph refused and defended his decision on the basis of an ethical standard of trust and responsibility before what we may call absolute justice — God.
Even today, temptations are often directed precisely toward those who show promise as capable employees and future leaders. We all carry needs within us, and we all know the many temptations that range from betrayal and desire for gratification to offers of greater profit, power, or position.
Joseph upheld an ethical standard in the face of temptation and the honey trap: – Leaders today will be measured by the same standard, regardless of the level of power or responsibility they hold within an organisation.

Home Lessson 15,1

Take a moment to write down some experiences from your own steps 1-5. Then ask yourself:

“Where am I now?” and
“Where do I want to go next?”

If you have any ambitions – join us on this journey and discover more!

NEXT / LESSON 15,2: Accused