Leadership is influence.

1. The true measure of leadership is influence nothing more, nothing less. Joshua came
face-to-face with the true nature of leadership when he failed to influence the people
to follow his lead. His position as tribal leader did nothing to help him influence
others.

2. Leaders do not possess influence in every area. Those selected to spy out the
Promised Land were “everyone a leader” (Num. 13:2). That means Joshua was a
leader with some influence, but his influence apparently didn’t outweigh that of the
other 11 leaders.

3. Our influence is either positive or negative. If all twelve spies had given a good report
of the Promised Land, the people of Israel likely would have obeyed God and
crossed into the land. But influence is a two-edged sword; it cuts both positively and
negatively. The ten unfaithful tribal leaders used their influence to lead the people
astray—a disaster for those leaders and for all of their followers.

4. Faithful leaders use their influence to add value. Influencers who lead out of a desire
to advance their own agendas manipulate the people for their own gain. That’s what
the other ten spies did. Their fear prompted them to use their influence to frighten
Israel. They lied, claiming the land “devours its inhabitants” (Num. 13:32). On the
other hand, Joshua and Caleb desired to motivate their countrymen to do what would
benefit everyone—always the agenda of great leaders.

5. With influence comes responsibility. Maybe the ten unfaithful tribal leaders didn’t
want to start a rebellion, yet that’s what they did. Following their negative report, the
people sought to depose Moses and Aaron and return to Egypt. As a result, those
ten leaders died of plague, and all of their followers died in the desert. Joshua’s
Growing Influence Many individuals who at first seem ineffective as leaders give up.
Fortunately for the nation of Israel, Joshua did not fit that mold. He determined to
become a better leader. Despite his setback, Joshua continued to be faithful to God
and to learn as much as he could from Moses.

I. Joshua’s influence grew because of his relationship with Moses (Deut.31:1–8, 23).
Through Moses’ mentorship, Joshua not only polished his skills, but the people
accepted him as their leader. The Bible says that as Israel prepared to enter the
Promised Land, “Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel,
‘Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which
the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit
it’ ” (Deut. 31:7). In such a way Moses imparted authority to Joshua.

II. Joshua’s influence grew with time and maturity (Num. 14:1–10; Josh. 18:1–
10).Joshua gave basically the same speech in Numbers 14 that he delivered in
Joshua 18. The difference? The second time, a mature Joshua spoke to a new
generation. The people had seen his leadership skills in action, and his track record
as a leader gave them the confidence to follow his directions.
III. Joshua’s influence grew because of timing (Josh. 1:16–18). Sometimes a leader
wields little influence until his followers want to go somewhere. Only when the Jews
tired of wandering in the desert did they heed the words of Joshua. In Numbers 14,
the people responded to Joshua’s first exhortation to go in and take the land by
loudly suggesting that he be stoned. In Joshua 1, they responded by saying, “All that
you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go” (v. 16).

IV. Joshua’s influence grew because he possessed patience and integrity (Josh. 1:5–9).
Joshua continued to grow patiently even after the people rejected his words in
Numbers 14. While neither he nor Caleb died in the wilderness, as did all those who
rebelled against God, nevertheless they both were forced to wander in the desert for
40 years through no fault of their own. Such an “unfair” turn of events could have
turned Joshua into an angry, melancholy, disgruntled, and cynical man. Yet he
became none of those things. Throughout the long wilderness journey, he continued
to display great consistency and credibility—until at last the people were finally ready
to follow.

V. Joshua’s influence grew because he was right (Josh. 23:1–11). From the beginning,
Joshua tried to do the right thing. He attempted to lead the people in the right
direction. After the exodus from Egypt, most of Israel considered his words foolhardy
and rash—yet Joshua’s words stood the test of time. His message never changed,
and eventually everyone saw that he was right.

Leadership is all about influence, and Joshua demonstrates that influence comes
down to character and conviction.