Business Leadership Lessons from Joseph and Daniel: Week 20 Podcast

Welcome to the 20th episode of the Conquer Your Mountains podcast titled: "What Does It Mean to Be a Joseph or a Daniel in the World of Business?" 

 

 

Today, we delve into the insightful stories of Joseph and Daniel from theological references and explore their applicable lessons in modern-day business leadership. Your host, Mandla Moyo, an inspirational and science fiction author, offers fascinating anecdotes touching on visionary leadership, strategic management, resilient stewardship, and effective problem-solving.

 

 

Initiating the discussion with Joseph's story, we define a 'Joseph anointing' in business: A mantle for provision, sustenance, and strategic business administration, even amidst challenging seasons. Moyo extrapolates from Joseph's biblical journey—from unfavored sibling to resourceful administrator in Pharaoh's kingdom—highlighting his unfaltering integrity and wise stewardship that saved many lives during famine. In the context of this narrative, Moyo poses critical questions on the role of Joseph-like figures in a struggling businesses that are going through "famine", emphasizing the importance of solution providers and nourishment suppliers.

 

Transitioning to Daniel's story, we delve into his unique encounter with suppression, servitude, and forced acclimatization in foreign lands. Despite facing harsh challenges, his path would enlighten business leaders dealing with cultural differences, internal hostilities, and political correctness. Daniel's interpretation of king's visions and his ability to stand firm in adverse circumstances draws a lot of parallels with leaders whose wisdom and discernment are pivotal to their organization's success. Moreover, Daniel's multi-cultural social integration, despite brutal upheavals, offers lessons on inclusivity and adaptability in today's diverse business environment.

 

Toward the end of the episode, Moyo addresses leaders who feel incapable of integrating Joseph or Daniel's attributes into their leadership. His comforting words and valuable insights strive to remind us that becoming a resilient and adaptive leader requires patience, persistence, and overcoming countless trials. Moyo concludes by prompting listeners to contemplate their leadership personas and embrace both archetypes' values for achieving holistic business success.

 

 

Click here to access the podcast in a platform of your choice, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts 

https://tr.ee/Kz8U7B2wiq

 

Book purchases available on:

 

https://www.conquermountains.com/conquer-your-mountains/

 

https://www.conquermountains.com/the-fallen-angel/

 

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Welcome to the Conquer Your Mountains Week 20 podcast, titled,
What Does It Mean to Be a Joseph or a Daniel in the World of Business?
If you are following the Conquer Your Mountains reading plan,
you are in Week 20 that has the name Proverbs Speak Life into Dry Bones.
I am Mandla Moyo, the author of an inspirational book called Conquer Your Mountains,

(00:28):
as well as a science fiction book called The Fallen Angel.
Let's get going with a quote from Conquer Your Mountains, page 70.
It says, I saw you going into business as a marketplace minister,
which took you across the country and even beyond the continent to international places.

(00:50):
In the business context, you were like Joseph and Daniel. I saw you working
alongside presidents and kings and showing them my ways.
And when you stood before mighty people of authority, you would say,
I know who stands before me.
So today we'll talk about what it means to be a Joseph or a Daniel in your setting,

(01:16):
whether it's your business or your workplace or any other community setting.
We'll start with Joseph. Joseph is a good starting point. What was his story?
So, if you know the story of Joseph, Joseph was sold into slavery.
He was accused of doing something that he didn't do, and he was put in prison.

(01:38):
And yet, he remained steadfast as a man of integrity, and he was renowned for his stewardship.
A Joseph anointing is like a mantle, which stands for provision and sustenance.
Even in challenging seasons.
The Bible story of Joseph, which is in the book of Genesis, is a tale of heroic redemption.

(02:03):
Here are a few of the key events. So Joseph was the son of Jacob.
He was the most favored son, and his father gave him a robe of many colors.
And if you remember, his brothers grew jealous when he reported of having dreams
that they would one day bow down on before him, along with his parents.

(02:26):
Driven by jealousy, his brother sold him into slavery.
Passing caravan, and the traders took him to Egypt.
In Egypt, he ended up in the service of Potiphar, who was the captain of Pharaoh's guard.
However, he prospered. He found favor with Potiphar, and even after he was falsely

(02:52):
accused and imprisoned,
he ended up being the keeper of the prison, looking after the other inmates,
even though he was in prison himself.
He soon became known for his ability to interpret dreams, and that caught the attention of Pharaoh.
And Joseph interpreted a dream that explained that Egypt would experience seven

(03:14):
years of plentifulness, followed by seven years of famine and hunger.
And impressed, Pharaoh promoted Joseph to be the chief administrator.
During the famine that followed, Joseph was a wise and capable administrator,
effectively prime minister in our modern-day world.

(03:36):
And he put together a strategic plan that saved the nation from hunger.
And that included collecting grain during the times of plentifulness,
implementing a livestock exchange where people could exchange livestock for
food, implementing a land acquisition program, where land could also be exchanged for food,

(04:00):
when food was nowhere to be found.
In the end, what Joseph did saved countless lives, and the people remarked,
you have saved our lives.
They accepted servitude to Pharaoh in exchange for their survival.
And it was Joseph whose wise management ensured survival during a time of famine.

(04:24):
And these strategies even allowed Egypt to be a net supplier of grain to other nations.
So how does Joseph's story apply to business?
If you look at Joseph's life, his influence extended to the whole marketplace. place.
He used his role in business to manage resources, to interpret visions of things

(04:45):
that were not yet, but that would come to pass.
And he used his ability of stewardship to guide Egypt through famine.
That Joseph mantle equips leaders to provide solutions and nourishment for life.
And if you have that mantle of Joseph, you could be in a business where you're

(05:07):
the one that, even though your company may be struggling or you're going through
hard times economically,
you find ways to provide solutions and nourishment that will keep many families fed.
Joseph was really a provider and
as a business leader one of your role is to
be a provider and use that to move your organization from adversity to fulfilling

(05:35):
its purpose and when a business fulfills its purpose that is when it is able
to provide for its customers and its shareholders and its employees.
And in summary, Joseph's administration demonstrates the ability to plan strategically
and the ability to manage resources wisely.

(05:57):
If you're in a leadership role, this could mean finding a way to be a wise steward,
being able to adapt to both times of abundance and times of scarcity.
And in business, you'll be flip-flopping between the two, abundance and scarcity.
And both those situations require a certain form of leadership.

(06:21):
Before you decide if you are a Joseph or a Daniel, let's talk about Daniel in more detail.
Daniel's story began in captivity when he was taken from his home to Babylon
and there in Babylon he faced suppression because of his faith and identity.
But despite that, he chose servitude over bitterness.

(06:45):
I think if someone uprooted me to another land against my will,
I could probably wallow in bitterness.
But that's not a path that Daniel chose.
Daniel's story began around the year 560 BC, when Jerusalem fell to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

(07:05):
And he was deported to Babylon with three friends, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. ago.
Despite being in a foreign land, Daniel and his friends showed so much courage
and integrity and they didn't compromise their faith.
They were blessed and they were promoted within the king's service.
And Daniel became renowned for his ability to interpret visions.

(07:29):
And if you think of this in the marketplace, those visions could be what a shelter dreams of.
And they look for someone like you to make it possible.
It could be the vision that a CEO has about what his or her organization could be.
And perhaps you could be a Daniel that shows them how that could come to pass.

(07:54):
Daniel's story also included the famous account of the lion's den,
where his unwavering faith led to deliverance.
So he exemplifies resilience and standing firm in the face of of adversity.
He had three leadership roles that we can recount.
Under Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was an official leader in Nebuchadnezzar's administration.

(08:21):
In fact, the chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
Later, when Nebuchadnezzar's grandson Dalshaza ruled Babylon,
Danial continued to serve as an advisor, and one of his last leadership roles
was under Darius the Mede.

(08:42):
Daniel was appointed the prime minister in the Persian Empire.
So how does the story of Daniel apply to modern day business?
Daniel shows many of the challenges that business leaders can encounter,
whether you are dealing with differences in culture, you are dealing with hostile competitors.

(09:05):
Perhaps even hostility within your own organization, or persecution.
And persecution in business can happen when you take an unpopular stand that
perhaps politicians don't like.
Daniel showed wisdom and essential knowledge in navigating adversity.

(09:27):
He had a unique ability to understand visions and to counsel sell foreign kings,
which set him apart for leadership.
In business, if you have expertise and wisdom and discernment,
you can make informed decisions and you can be a positive impact to others within your organization.

(09:51):
Daniel also stood out in that he was engaged. He didn't isolate himself.
Despite a brutal past where he was uprooted, he engaged within the culture that he was put within.
And often in business, we struggle with being inclusive, with adapting to an

(10:12):
environment that requires being adaptable to diversity and different viewpoints.
And Daniel reflected that as a business leader, you should be able to integrate
into your industry, dealing with industry colleagues,
dealing with diverse customers, diverse views, where you can leverage your influence

(10:37):
to make a positive change.
And in short, Daniel's integrity and the ability to translate his insight into
action had a huge impact on the Babylonian government and the nation.
You can also make a difference by aligning your work to your ultimate purpose

(10:57):
and to remaining steadfast to the principles that shaped you.
As we close today's episode, I have a message for the leader that feels that
they are failing, that they are failing to be a Joseph or a Daniel.
And my message is that both of these archetypes took many years to become who they were.

(11:20):
They faced many days, many weeks, months of adversity, but they remained steadfast.
They made mistakes along the way, but they rose above those mistakes and above those challenges.
They were able to navigate times of famine, times of national upheaval,

(11:41):
times of scarcity, and even times of plentifulness.
And what stood out is how steadfast they remained in demonstrating who they
were in a difficult world.
So let me know what you identify as. Are you a Joseph, a provider?

(12:04):
Or are you a Daniel, an overcomer?
Or perhaps you are a bit of both, both a Joseph and a Daniel.
Either way, I am confident that you are empowered to win.