Modeling the Way: Joseph’s Forgotten Leadership

Joseph models integrity, vision, and resilience even when forgotten in prison. James Kouzes & Barry Posner’s The Leadership Challenge highlights that leaders must “Model the Way” and “Inspire a Shared Vision.” Joseph does this long before Pharaoh recognizes his gifts.

The cupbearer’s forgetfulness shows the shadow side: without memory, visions wither. Leadership is not only about personal strength—it is about communities that remember and amplify the gifts of others.

👉 How are you ensuring that the people you lead are not forgotten? Can you think of any historical or contemporary examples of Joseph?

When I look at the historical record on leadership for a comparison to Joseph, I do not think there is an American counterpart. Booker T. Washington comes closest. On the world stage, it would be Nelson Mandela.

👉 What do you think?

Postscript: Drawn from one of my spiritual reflections, “The Burden of the Cupbearer,” which evolved into “The Moral Imperative of the Cupbearer” — Listen to the sermon here: The Moral Imperative of the Cupbearer, Ciulla’s Ethics: The Heart of Leadership, and Susan P. Sturm & Haran Tae’s “Leading with Conviction: The Transformative Role of Formerly Incarcerated Leaders in Reducing Mass Incarceration.”