“After all the land was divided among the tribes, the Israelites gave a piece of land to Joshua as his allocation.”

A few weeks ago, I was honored to have been the keynote speaker for large symposium of Human Resources Leaders.  Having practiced the craft myself for most of my career, I like to pass along the learning and experience I gained but also listen to what others are saying about their careers and challenges.  After my keynote address I was fortunate to sit on a panel with a number of highly-esteemed CHROs and discuss the role and return on character in business.  As I sat and listened to each of these experienced and highly-capable people speak about CEOs and other leaders they had experienced and worked with, I was lifted up and encouraged by the continued focus and admiration of those business leaders who lead with character and humility.  We don’t hear much about them as the news would rather fill space with the stories of the worst of the worst (and TV too loves to write the protagonist as the flawed and testing of the lower limits of values and principles – need I say more than “Billions”). Yet, out there, running many companies, well-known or not, are the good people, doing their best to balance the struggles of profits and people and returning to a set of values to guide them forward.  The saying today we know well is, “See something, say something!”.  Let’s remember to do that by saying something positive and encouraging for the unseen leaders who aren’t the ones feeding at the trough.

God gave Joshua leadership over the Israelites.  He commanded Joshua to parcel out the promised land to the different tribes.  Joshua could have easily set aside land for himself first and then divvied up from there, but he didn’t.  He waited until all the work was done and then his people (interesting to me that it was his people and not God) who admired him, respected him, trusted him and who had been done right by Joshua, gave him his land. Two things here for me.  One, God works through people otherwise, God would have made Joshua’s land grant. Secondly, part of Godly leadership is working without the expectation of what will come to us.  If we do that, God, and our people, will make sure our needs are met.  Being last to receive, in God’s eyes is being first.

Reference: Joshua 19:14 (New Living Translation)