How can the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prohibition of seeking leadership be reconciled with Yusuf's (peace be upon him) request to be put in charge of the storehouses of the land?

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prohibited asking for leadership. For whoever seeks it and is entrusted with it, is left to it, whereas whoever is given it without asking for it, is aided in it. The wisdom behind this prohibition is that one who seeks it sees its gains, not its duties. This is unlike what Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), peace be upon him, did when he requested authority, but that was because he knew that no one could take his place in upholding justice and reform, and in order to call them to Allah and lift oppression from them. This is what necessitates the difference between the two situations. So, if there is someone capable and fit for it, then it is better not to seek it.