Genesis Leadership. What exactly do I mean by Genesis Leadership? For starters, it has its genesis in Genesis. In fact, in the very first chapter of the very first book of the Bible in the story of Creation there are some leadership principles laid out by the Creator Himself that have formed the foundation of the Genesis Leadership Training curriculum.
But what is this link between leadership and Creation as narrated in the book of Genesis? There are many links between leadership and the Genesis account of creation but for me the linkages begin in Genesis 1:28
Literally translated in the Young’s Literal Translation Genesis 1: 28 reads as follows:
And God blesseth them (referring to Adam & Eve), and God saith to them, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that is creeping upon the earth.’
God the Creator is giving instructions and directives to Adam and Eve. Giving directives is a well-established role of leadership and here in Genesis 1: 28 God is giving the very first leadership directive ever given to humanity.
Everything God did from the first day of creation until the sixth day of creation in Genesis 1 verse 28 appears to be God working in isolation creating the Universe. Working alone does not readily suggest leadership. Leadership is always in the context of leading others and giving leadership directives for others to follow.
But leadership in the context of leading others by giving leadership directives is only a partial picture of what leadership involves. Genesis 1 verse 1 through verse 31 shows that there is a more important leadership role that precedes the leadership directives.
This is a profound and undeniable principle of leadership which originated with God himself in the Genesis creation account. Without engaging and executing this prerequisite role any and every leadership directive a leader gives to his team is all but guaranteed to fail. So what is this leadership role that is embodied in the Genesis creation account? Well here it is:
Before a leader gives leadership directives a leader must create an ecosystem of interconnected and interrelated resources that allow the followers to effectively execute and implement the leader’s leadership directives.
Imagine for a moment if God had given the leadership directive in Genesis 1:28 where he tasked Adam and Eve with the assignment of being fruitful and multiply but God had not created light on day one? It would be challenging for Adam and Eve to see let alone do all the things needed to accomplish the grand assignment. Or what God had not created trees and vegetation, what would Adam and Eve eat to gain physical strength which would be needed to accomplish the leadership directives? Or what if God had not re-assigned water to oceans, rivers and lakes, then Adam & Eve would have had to work underwater to complete any of the tasks God assigned to them in verse 28.
Here is the reality of creation. Everything God created from day one to day six was created and designed to make it easy for Adam & Eve to execute the leadership directives of Genesis 1:28- “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that is creeping upon the earth.”
So, as leaders in the 21st century, what we do before we give leadership directives is far more important than the directives we give. Some leaders get carried away with the euphoria of being able to command their followers. This is “fake leadership” and leadership the relies on authority and position to ensure that people follow through on leadership directives is leadership that is destined to fail.
On the other hand, leadership that relies on an organizational ecosystem and organizational structure that equips and empowers people to execute leadership directives is all but destined for success.
So, without further ado, let us dive into The Genesis Leadership Training and see how understanding God’s leadership strategies in the Genesis account of creation can help us as leaders ensure that our organizations and the people we lead become fruitful and multiply.
Let’s join our presenter W Vernon Murray for the introduction of Genesis Leadership Lessons.