"Any Dream Will Do"

It was a magical evening, with great songs, great performances, and a great story.

If you don't know it, it's about the Biblical Joseph, the 11th son of Jacob, who is despised by his brothers, sold into slavery in Egypt, thrown into prison on false accusations, saved by his ability to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, and appointed as overseer of Egypt's economy during periods of plenty and famine.

On our way home, we wondered why, 4000 years on, the story of Joseph still has such a pull on 21st century audiences. What other story this old gets audiences pouring into theatres and cheering from the rafters?

And, then, the penny dropped.

Joseph is very much a modern figure who has plenty to teach us about some of the problems we face today.

Consider how...

* despite all his bad fortune, most of it unfair, Joseph never complains
* even when literally at rock bottom, in a deep prison dungeon, he still believes that things will turn out OK, telling us "any dream will do"
* he uses his strengths, - interpreting dreams, - to build contacts and serve others
* when rescued from prison and appointed viceroy by Pharaoh, he becomes the consummate manager, organiser, and planner ensuring that the farmers of Egypt grow enough during the 7 years of plenty to get through the 7 years of famine
* when he is finally reunited with his starving brothers, he doesn't seek revenge, but gives them food and a few cleverly-delivered learning points.

My friend, Terrence Seamon, Principal of THS Facilitation Solutions in New York, says that in our own credit crunch year of 2009, managers need 6 qualities to get them through:

1. courage, to face the facts and make the personal sacrifices needed
2. steadfastness, to hold on to core values and not take the easy route
3. wisdom, to recognize what is happening and distinguish the baby from the bathwater
4. engagement, to work with others in figuring out how to weather the storm
5. vision, to know for certain that things will get better
6. caring, to help others who are looking for guidance and support.

To me, these qualities sum up the story of Joseph, who is surely the modern manager par excellence with the ability to lead as well as manage, to inspire as well as plan, and to dream as well set goals.

Isn't that exactly what we need today?