Job was a model man. God boasted of him to Satan saying that “there is none like him in the earth.” (Job 1:20-22; 2:1-10)
What were his distinctives? What set him apart? A look at the Hebrew words might help us in knowing better what kind of behavior and demeanor impress God.
Job was a perfect man – The root of the Hebrew word Tam means to be complete. In many instances it speaks of that which is ethically sound.
Job was an upright man – yashar – to be level, straight, upright, just, lawful. One of the characteristics of the blameless is that they live upright lives.
Job feareth God – yare – fearing, afraid – reverence, respect
Job escheweth evil – sur means to turn aside, depart – Sur is used both in a negative and in a positive sense. It means to make a distinctive and definite act of removing yourself from where you were before.
Job was a leader among men in his day. Above all he was a man who impressed God. From his example we find a number of things that will help us as we develop our leadership style.
1. He was ethically above reproach
2. He was fair in his dealings with others
3. He was submissive to authority
4. He was honest in all of his activities.
Ivey Business Journal states \”Character fundamentally shapes how we engage the world around us, what we notice, what we reinforce, who we engage in conversation, what we value, what we choose to act on, how we decide…and the list goes on. Our own research on the failures of leadership points to issues around character as a central theme.\” (Developing Leadership Character by Mary Crossan, Jeffrey Gandz and Gerard Seijts, Jan/Feb 2012 http://www.iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/leadership/developing-leadership-character)
In order to develop as a leader we must develop as a person. How we view life, others and God will in a large degree determine the end result of our endeavor to be a leader.
Dr. Gayle Woods