The great leaders of today like Alan Sugar, Alex Ferguson, Steve Jobs and Nelson Mandela all had something that made them great. Whether it was vision, creativity, commitment or longevity, each of them have been outstanding leaders in their fields. If we are to lead well then we are going to need people of vision, full of creativity who will commit for the long haul.

We can learn a lot from the life of Joseph. He was a true leader of his family, and of his generation. Here are 3 simple things we can learn from his life.

1.   Launch
Joseph was a man of vision. He dreamed a lot and when he shared these dreams with his family, he got laughed at, ridiculed, and even bullied. We too must search for a God given dream and vision for our settings, and we should take time to share and communicate these things. We are warned in Proverbs that “without vision the people perish” and so we must continually listen and strain our ears for what this is in our context.

We also need to remember that Joseph had these dreams when he was still young and so we also must have the humility to listen to the thoughts and dreams of those around us.

Great leaders have great vision. What is your vision for where you are: your family, your town, your job, your church or your community?

2.   Lead
Joseph led no matter what his circumstances were. Whether he was sold into slavery, wrongly accused, put into prison, forgotten about or standing in front of the Pharaoh, he continued to lead and set an example to those around him.

Too often we let circumstances or failure hold us back from leading well. Joseph became a leader of his generation, but this leadership started when he was in prison as he led those around him. Set aside your excuses and begin to lead from where you are.

Great leaders lead no matter the circumstances. What are you letting hold you back from leading well?

3.   Last
Finally, we need leaders who last in an instant world. Joseph stayed true to his calling the whole way through his life and kept on leading right until the end. Far too often in leadership, particularly with young people, we maintain such a short-term vision. I once heard it said that we shouldn’t overestimate what we can achieve in one year, but we also shouldn’t underestimate what we can achieve in 5. For more than a decade Joseph led at the front of government, gaining integrity, trust and relationships. Let’s do the same in our areas of leadership. Let’s keep going!

So keep launching, keep leading and keep lasting wherever you are!

in no particular order…!!

1. A few days in London with my family, getting inside the Palace, meeting the Queen & seeing Dad receive his MBE
2. Our holiday in Donegal with a group of amazing friends
3. A new job, a new community, a new challenge and a new start
4. Watching friends get married
5. Our friend Paul arriving randomly on our doorstep after being away for the last 2 years away
6. Christmas hotel break with Sarah
7. The banter of weekends away with young people
8. Times in Dublin learning, discussing and laughing
9. Finishing my 2nd marathon with a new personal best
10. Church weekend away at the North Coast
11. Serving with an amazing team of leaders
12. Seeing Sarah’s face after she got accepted for her PGCE course

oh and 13…..Spurs are 3rd in the league!!!

Day 12
There were lots of people involved in the first Christmas story. From family to shepherds to angels to wise men to animals! There are lots of people involved in our lives who have made a difference to us. Perhaps we need to thank and encourage these people more.

Do
Write and hand deliver a Christmas Card to someone who has helped you this year. Tell them that!

Day 11
In the madness and rush of all that happened that First Christmas, Mary and Joseph went home to start life as a new family. Christmas is often a rush for us, but we should be looking for spaces of stillness and times of silence. Perhaps you need to get away from it all for a short time.

Do
On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, take some moments in silence. No music. No TV. No Facebook. No phone. For a few minutes say thanks to God for the Christmas story.

Day 10
Mary was so thankful for what had happened her. She didn’t just take it for granted but realised what a miracle this was. This spilled over in her prayers to God.

Sometimes we might take Christmas for granted too much, and we should take more time to praise and thank God for what it really means.

Do
Write a prayer of thanks to God for what Christmas means to you.

Day 9
As Jesus grew up, many people shaped and influenced His young life. It’s amazing to think that the Son of God had to learn from others in His life. How humble our God is!

Do
Think about who you could learn from more in your life? Ask to spend some time with this person over the Christmas period so you can be influenced by them more.

Day 8
The Bible says that Mary treasured up all the things that people said to them concerning Jesus. Other people’s words meant so much to her. It’s great when we can be an encouragement to other people through the words that we say.

Do
Encourage someone who has helped you by writing and giving them a card to say thanks for all that they have done for you.

Day 7
The wise men thought it was important to bring gifts to Jesus. So often we can just think of ourselves and not look for ways to help others. Maybe we need to think about how we can give things away more in our lives as part of our worship to Jesus.

Do
Save money by making a gift for someone this Christmas and then giving it away to a charity or project that will make a difference in the lives of others.

Day 6
It’s incredible to think that even the angels gave praise to God. They are hugely impressive creatures and yet even they are in awe of Jesus. Perhaps we need to follow in their footsteps…

Do
Get yourself along to church this coming weekend to celebrate the Christmas story in praise and worship.

Day 5
A man called Simeon is included in the Christmas story. He was watching out for God coming to earth and he didn’t want to miss out! Maybe we need to take more time reading the messages God wants to communicate with us.

Do
Give up something today (like watching a tv programme, texting, going on facebook) and spend that time reading the Christmas story in Luke Chapters 1-2.