Leadership Echo: Prodigal 3 - Sonny and a Step Toward Home

There are echoes of Joshua 1:9 in every courageous step toward restoration.

“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

We’ve all seen someone leave. Sometimes it’s an employee ready for a new role. Other times it’s a parent taking time away for a new baby or a peer who just needs to regroup. Some of those choices succeed. But what happens when they don’t? Has the leadership built something they’d want to return to?

That’s where the prodigal named Sonny found himself.
He finally had clarity and wanted to return home. He didn’t expect to be welcomed. In fact, he was ready to work as a hired hand. But he knew this: the people who worked for his father were treated with dignity and respect. They were well fed and looked after. That memory of dignity secured his decision to start going back.

There’s always a moment when reflection turns into action. For Sonny, it was the moment he said: “I will go.” He had rehearsed a speech, but the story didn’t shift until he took a step.
That’s when everything changed.

Good leaders encourage growth and development, even when it means someone leaves the team. Great leaders also prepare for return. They echo the words spoken to Joshua:
“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or discouraged.” They build an environment filled with grace, even if the journey doesn’t go as planned.

The environment a leader creates will be what someone remembers when things fall apart.

Just like Sonny, they’ll remember how you made them feel, valued or expendable.
Lead so that you will be remembered.

Take time to reflect this week: Remember a time you had to make a difficult decision to reverse course. Some of the most meaningful change starts with the courage to take the first step toward home.

What are the qualities of an environment, at home, at work, or in your community, that make someone want to return after they’ve failed?