As a child Joseph starts with a couple of great characteristics that every good leader should have; a sense of leadership, and the ability to see available options. The young Joseph still had a lot to learn before he would become a great leader.

We know from his dreams that he believed he was going to be a leader.

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.
Genesis 37:9 ASV

Joseph believed he was going to lead people similar to children believing that they will grow up to be an astronaut or a doctor. Joseph believed that he would be in charge someday. Even though Jospeh knew he was going to be a leader of something somewhere someday, no body imagined he was going to be the chief vizier for the Pharoah of Egypt, especially Joseph.

Just wanting a position of authority is not the same as wanting to handle the position of authority. I have known people who say they want to be a manager of a factory. When asked about why they want to manage a large facility and be in charge of many people with all kinds of different problems, they quickly say, “Oh! I would be the manager. I do not like dealing with people’s problems.”

Asking more I discover that these types of people are interested in the office, the nice clothes (maybe even a multi-colored coat), the errands around town (especially visiting the café), and most definitely the respect that comes with being a factory manager. The actual work they have no interest in. To be a good manager you must enjoy more than just the perks of the job. I have met factory managers who wake up everyday energized to manage their factory and know all their employees by name.

Joseph had an interest in the work. He went to the field with his brothers (Genesis 37:2) to work. He was familiar with harvesting grain; (Genesis 37:7) itchy, hot, dusty work. He experienced travel over distances without certainty of what they would find at their destination (Genesis 33:7). How many privileged children today have these kinds of experiences and enjoy these experiences?

Yet, you can have a mindset excited to do work and still not be capable of leading anyone. Many times, when I am confronting subordinates on decisions they should make, their respond with “just tell me what to do, and I will do it”. They do not want to think or reason through any kind of decision making. They only want to put their head down and be told what to do. To make a decision we generally need to follow the decision making process, sometimes called the OODA loop, where a person must have situational awareness, recognize decision points, evaluate options, and act on the decisions. Some people do this naturally, some people can learn this decision making, and some will always be followers.

When Joseph goes looking for his brothers at Shechem and does not find them, a follower, who does not make decisions, would return to Jocab without finding the brothers. Joseph searches Shechem, (Genesis 37:15-17) talks with the man he does find, and learns where to find his older brothers. Joseph observes the situation, considers his options of return to Jacob or keep searching, he decides to check Dothan, and Joseph walks to Dothan.

I will add that after making a decision we should return to our place of being situationally aware of our surroundings and observe the results of our decision. Just because we decided to do something does not mean it will work out the way we planned. Be prepared to make more decisions and adjust.

Joseph had a sense of leadership, not just wanting to be in a position of authority, but that he wanted to get out there on the hot day and go the distance, follow up with people and make decisions.