The introductory chapter of the book of Mathew tells us about the genealogy of Jesus. However, many people may have viewed this history as old with its meaning lost in the past. We can learn about God’s leadership from this Bible passage. Let’s see five leadership lessons we can learn from the Lineage of Jesus.
Visionary leaders think long term
The genealogy of Jesus is a result of God’s long-term goal to bring salvation to the world. The rebellion of Satan leads to this plan. God promised to resolve the rebellion by using Jesus to save the world.
For Jesus to come to the earth, a lineage of over 7000 years has to be established. This long-term plan leads to the formation of the Israelite and other current and future events that will lead to the destruction of Satan and his followers.
The leadership lessons are that leaders should think long-term about any goal they intend to achieve. Although God’s goal spans thousands of years, humans have only a few years to live. Good leaders can have three to five-year goals and smaller yearly objectives to achieve the goals.
Identity is a powerhouse of leadership
The book of Mathew identifies Abraham as the root of the genealogy of Jesus. Then, it states other individuals’ identities. This shows that God does not just prepare a goal, it identifies people who will be on the path towards the attainment of the goal. Stating their names shows how well God knows them.
The leadership lessons here are that as a business owner, you will become a leader of many people in your company. You should know them by name. This includes employees with you currently and those in the past. These individuals are part of your company’s story.
During the discussion of the company’s culture, individuals who were instrumental to the business can be included. Especially if they helped shape the entity’s current culture. Also, knowing employees by name will keep them motivated and make them feel valued in the company.
Inclusive leadership
Men have dominated in leadership roles. The lineage of Jesus is no different. However, God ensures that women are included in the Jesus’ genealogy. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary are women mentioned as part of Jesus’ lineage.
In today’s business world, investors and advocates of women in governance have encouraged companies to include women in their board membership. A company that includes women as part of its leadership may have certain investors buying its shares.
Inclusive leadership means that organisational leadership must include men and women. In the boardroom, women should have equal say as men. In Nigeria, we can see this in the banking sector. Ten Nigerian banks have women as their chief executive officers.
Honesty and transparency
Another leadership lesson from the book of Matthew 1:1-17 is on honesty and transparency. In the 17 verses, Mathew was made to pen down the names of individuals that formed the history of Jesus. He did not fail to include their negative events.
Although David is seen as the closest ancestor of Jesus, in the Bible, it does not fail to include that David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, then had him killed. Despite these, God forgives King David.
As a leader transparency and honesty in governance are important. Subordinates should understand their roles. The information about previous errors can be used to alert followers to be vigilant to grey areas.
One of the leadership lessons is that leaders should practice forgiveness. A follower may bring embarrassment to the team or make mistakes. The subordinate can be forgiven if tsuch errors are not done on purpose. More so, it teaches that the error of a leader does not make him or her a failure. Yes, people fail from time to time, but the will to succeed should reflect on the faces of great people.
Succession planning
Another noteworthy lesson is succession planning. For God to achieve his goal, he made plans for succession through the three fourteen generations. This begins with Abraham and ends with Joseph, Mary’s husband. Leaders also make succession plans. This will make it easy to replace employees in leadership positions when they resign or retire.