Three Crazy Career Moves That Worked

Gen 41:16

“I cannot do it” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires”.

 

If the most powerful person alive asked me for a favour, would I lead with: “I cannot do it”? Wow.

All Joseph has to say is: “I’ll try”. Pharaoh wants him to interpret a dream. Joseph has dabbled in dream analysis before and had some success. Pharaoh knows this track record and is giving Joseph a possible “get out of jail free” card. Why not take it and run? Why be so self effacing and why bring God into it at all?

Joseph’s “I can’t” is a verbal bulldozer. It clears a space for both Pharaoh and me to hear the powerful words that come next: “God will”. Three things inspire me as I watch Joseph. They are unusual career moves to say the least. But they work!

1. Joseph chooses to promote his God at the moment he could have promoted himself. This is a risk. It is always a risk to talk about God when other people want simply to engage our skill set. Joseph makes his faith in God a matter of public attention. It is a risk that pays off for him (41:39-40). This evidence of God at work is the very thing that earns Joseph a promotion. It is significant that the years in prison have not rotted Joseph’s spiritual passion. After a shave and a change of clothes (41:14) he is more eager to speak for God than for himself. 

2. Joseph leads with his limitations. This is counter-intuitive. “I can’t” sounds weak. Our culture values competence and self sufficiency. What sort of conversation would I begin with the words: “I cannot do it”? Probably not a job interview! Certainly not a University oral exam, or a sales pitch. And NOT a conversation with the one person who can free me or slay me at will (recall the Baker and Cupbearer in Gen 40). But it is Joseph’s exceptional honesty and his disarming transparency, that makes him so useful to God and to Pharaoh. He stands out as different. Do I?

 

3. Joseph gives away his intellectual property for free (41:33-36). A self serving strategy might have stopped at verse 32 and revised the next paragraph as follows: “And now let Pharaoh hire me and my firm to do a costly analysis and publish a huge and confusing report.” Joseph chooses instead to offer his best advice without strings attached. Many wise people have learned the power of giving their best away. It has a habit of coming back to you “pressed down and shaken together”. This was certainly true for Joseph.

These three unorthodox strategies win Joseph an unexpected leadership office. He becomes vice-regent of the realm. Not bad for age 30! And Pharaoh specifically credits the promotion to the spirituality Joseph has disclosed and the wisdom he has offered freely.

I do not propose that anyone should follow this prescription mechanically. Reflection is required. We need God’s particular leading in each situation. Remember that Joseph's passion for God and his high morals landed him in jail in the first place (Gen 39)! There are no formulas.

However, behind Joseph’s bold behavior there stand three powerful principles.

• Seek (promote) God’s kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well (Luke 12:31)
• Humble yourself (admit your limitations) and you will be exalted (Luke 14:11)
• Give (your best ideas) and more will be given to you (Luke 6:38)

Who would have thought that a conversation starting with Joseph’s “I cannot do it” would end with Pharaoh’s “I put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt” (41:16, 41). Such is the way of God's mercy.

Questions

How can we be Joseph-like in our worlds?

Have you observed any of these principles at work in your life?

What other unusual career moves have you seen pay off significantly?