Effective Leadership
As we seek to continue to explore worldview and the application of biblical principles, keep in mind there may be two types of assignments that you encounter as a student. One, which you encountered last week, will ask you to find specific verses of scripture that are relevant to a specific topic. The second will ask you to explore a biblical passage and glean, or find, specific applications of principles. This assignment will take you through a biblical passage step by step to show you how to look at a passage of scripture to be able to identify concepts and principles that you can apply to your life specifically. Both of these exercises are key in being able to better understand a Biblical or Christian worldview, how CCU arrives at that worldview, and what it looks like in application.
Let’s assume you are studying the topic of effective leadership. The Bible gives an account of Joseph who grew from a young man tending his father’s sheep to an influential member of the king’s staff. This assignment serves as a model for questions you might consider as you examine Scripture to identify various concepts, principles, theories, case studies, topics, etc. from a biblical worldview. It also relates to the overall theme of this course.
In a Word document, answer the following questions. Write your answers to the questions in a question/answer format, including each question bolded in your Word document and your answer written below each question:
- Read Genesis 37:1-36 in your Bible. What were the circumstances that led to Joseph’s brothers’ treatment of him?
- Read Genesis 39. In Genesis 39, what character traits do you see emerge in Joseph in response to his encounter with Potiphar’s wife?
- Read Genesis 40 and 41. In these passages, what circumstances led to Joseph’s favor with the king?
- Based on this Biblical account of Joseph, what characteristics do you see in Joseph that led to his position of influence and leadership? How does this connect to your readings during your time in this course?
- Based on your experience as a leader or with leaders you have worked with, what are two principles of leadership you can take from the story of Joseph and apply to effective leadership? Use the verses in the passages to support each principle. For example:
- Principle 1 – Being faithful in tasks that are given you regardless of your current position. In Genesis 37: 1-17, the Bible explains how the Lord gave Joseph skills in dreams and their prediction of future events. There was even some indications that his brothers might actually bow down to Joseph in some future circumstances. However, as a young man he continued to fulfill the tasks his father gave him of tending the flocks and checking on the welfare of his brothers. Faithfulness to tasks given, no matter the level of importance, is a worthy characteristic of effective leaders.
Because you are citing Scripture, you need to be sure that you use the correct in-text citations, but you do not need to include the Bible on a References page.
Be sure to make some direct connections to the reading and work you have already been doing in this course. Use APA citing and referencing. Also, be reflective in applying what you’ve learned to your own life.
