So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care (Genesis 39:6-8 NIV).

Even though he was a slave, Joseph quickly rose to leadership in his master's house. He was put in charge of the household and was so competent that his master had little with which to be concerned. Gifted leaders naturally rise to leadership in any situation. In Joseph's case, it was also because God was fulfilling his plan through him.

People take notice of leaders. They trust them to lead. They admire their qualities. They want to emulate them. Unfortunately for Joseph, he was noticed in a different way by his master's wife, who wanted him to fulfill her lustful desires.

Because of their rise to prominence, leaders are tempted to indulge in things that are unethical, immoral, and illegal. Leadership scandals are a regular part of the daily news. We read stories of greed, corruption, mishandling of finances, and more. These abuses of leadership occur in government, business, and even churches.

Make it your highest leadership goal to rise above the temptation and maintain your integrity. The more you rise in leadership, the more temptations you will face, making it hard to resist. When in doubt, always err on the side of honesty and integrity. Then your story may read like Joseph's – a leader who refused to give in, and who was rewarded with the second highest leadership position in Egypt.