Joseph’s Crisis Management Blueprint – 2
A few years ago, driven by my hunger for knowledge, I picked up Writing Winning Proposals by Richard C. Freed, Shervin Freed, and Joe Romano. At the time, I wasn’t in business, nor was I a proposal writer, I was simply searching for a way to break even financially. I read the book cover to cover, but nothing changed. No immediate opportunities came my way.
Then, two years later, someone reached out, asking if I knew a proposal writer. That moment reminded me of Joseph in Egypt, a man who had been preparing in obscurity until the day Pharaoh summoned him to interpret a dream that would shape the future of a nation. Joseph didn’t scramble for answers, he had already refined his gift in the unseen years. Likewise, without knowing it, I had been preparing for an opportunity I couldn’t yet see. I took on the challenge, secured the deal, and from that day forward, I’ve been helping clients craft winning business proposals.
This brings us to the second blueprint.
Blueprint #2 – Turn Your Vision into Action
Vision without action is a daydream, but preparation turns vision into reality.
Sometimes, the knowledge and skills we acquire don’t yield immediate results, but when the moment of opportunity comes, those who have prepared in advance rise to the occasion. Joseph’s defining moment came when Pharaoh needed someone to interpret his troubling dreams (Genesis 41:14-36). Not only did Joseph interpret the dreams, but he also laid out a detailed crisis management plan:
- Seven years of plenty = Save and store resources
- Seven years of famine = Distribute wisely to sustain the nation
Joseph’s strategy was data-driven, proactive, and long-term focused.
- Application in Career: Always plan for career shifts, industry changes, and new opportunities. Upskill, network, and build a professional safety net. Keep learning. It is often said that your earnings are directly linked to how much knowledge you possess.
- Application in Business: Smart entrepreneurs prepare for market fluctuations. When times are good, invest in reserves, innovation, and brand positioning. Diversification is one strategic approach to managing market fluctuations by spreading risk across multiple products, services, industries, or markets. When one sector faces challenges, others may remain stable or even thrive, balancing overall performance.
- Application in Leadership: Leaders must not only react to crises but anticipate them and prepare solutions before they arise. You can always use the, “What If” strategy to prepare ahead of times. Anticipation helps eliminate frustration.
Joseph’s story reinforces that opportunity doesn’t create success, preparation does. Many people wait for a “Pharaoh moment,” but it’s what you do in your unseen years that determines whether you’ll rise when the moment comes. Joseph’s rise to prominence in Egypt wasn’t a stroke of luck, it was a result of years of preparation in obscurity. Long before Pharaoh summoned him, Joseph had been honing his skills.
Don’t wait for the opportunities to come, prepare for them, such that when they show up, you are the best fit for such opportunities.
You were MADE FOR MORE.
Iamhenrylong
