20 True Leadership comes from the Lord.

What can we learn from the leadership attributes of Moses when he led the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land?

A lot!

We must realize that Moses is leading slaves who were driven hard by their taskmasters, ruled by the whip, told what to do, how to do it, and had never been away from their neighbourhood for 400 hundred years. They did not know where they were going, how they were going to get there, how long it was going to take, and most importantly – how they are going to get their food and water!

Think about herding 1 million people who are filled with anxiety, uncertainty, and not used to making their own decisions?

Let’s take a step back, did I mention there was 1 million people plus livestock and goods? Can you imagine moving half of Houston or all of Calgary at a moment's notice? Think of the logistics needed (in no specific order):

Transportation

Communication

Food

Water

Healthcare

Keeping order

Sanitation

Resources

Protection

Shelter

Coordination

Safety

What leadership attributes did Moses have that he was called by God to take on this herculean task?

1. He was called, he listened and obeyed the inner voice. It was not a matter of narcissistic pride that says I can do this or that, or it is up to me, but rather a need that has to be done. Many leaders are introverted, shy, and lacking in confidence. In fact, there are many who resist this mantle, but you cannot beat it. As William Shakespeare wrote,” Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
2. He took a stand. When he saw injustice, he stood up and was counted, he dealt with it then and there. How can we better deal with injustice? Learn as much as you can about the situation, listen with total absorption to all the facts for or against something, decide to act, do not waver but take a stand, and hold firm.
3. He was a “servant leader”. Moses was called a “servant” more than any other person in the Bible. To many, the idea of being a servant goes against the grain of leadership, when in fact it should be the foundation of leadership. You are there to help your people be the best, do the best, and achieve the best that they can. General Bruce C. Clarke, an army officer who served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War clarified the concept perfectly when he said: “Rank is given you to enable you to better serve those above and below you. It is not given for you to practice your idiosyncrasies.”

The first way that you can start is to identify with your goal, your company, your people, or if it is just you – your customers. Servant leadership is a way of behaving, a way of being. You acknowledge the other person first, listen intently, be emphatically empathetic, be a community builder, and think globally to see the big picture for future development.

4. He was patient! Many obstacles presented themselves to him, many difficulties were presented, people let him down, he was criticized and disobeyed. Sounds like something that happens to all of us by, our partners, our children, our families, our workplace, our government, and often ourselves! Can you say you have patience?

Pay attention to when your lack of patience starts, it often stems from things not going the way you want. This is an early warning sign to slow yourself down. Start with making yourself wait before you respond, react, or decide immediately. Take time to digest, look at all the angles, and do a 360.

5. He delegated. When he started, he thought he had to do everything himself – sound familiar? His father-in-law showed him the error of his ways and immediately life became much easier for him.

How do we do that? Start by creating a list of all the things you need to do and then re-arrange them in order of priority. From there you do the things that only you can do, do the things you like to do, and finally, delegate the things that can be done better and/or faster by others. Regardless if this may cost you more or you feel you will lose control if you give detailed instructions on what your outcomes are, and you verify the completed work. You will never lose control if you communicate and have access to the completed work. Yes, you will have to learn to let go!

6. He trusted God and his people. Despite the danger, uncertainty, risk, fear, and not really knowing what he was supposed to do, Moses trusted in God implicitly. Sounds a little like starting your own business, doesn’t it?

Every relationship is built on trust.

How can we develop our trust in others and how can we build their trust in us? We can only develop a sense of what we need from others to be trustworthy and then make sure that we are that way to them.

We want people to:

Be who they say they are,

Do what they say they will do,

Show their true feelings,

Admit when they don’t know something,

Communicate openly and effectively,

Listen,

Own up to their mistakes and failures,

Say what they feel, not what they think you want to hear,

And finally, be honest!

Moses encapsulated all the above. Just like the journey Moses took the Israelites on through the desert, leadership and its development can be much the same way. God gives us unique skills, traits, and experiences which provide for the foundation of our development.

Not all leaders are developed equally or the same.

Furthermore, God gives us the tools and the people to support us on our journey – teachers, mentors, supporters, and a heart to do what we are doing. We are building a bridge as we learn. Through our many pitfalls and mistakes, we develop and hone our leadership skills without even knowing it. We are maturing. This maturing process also shows us how we can use our gifts to influence and make a difference in people’s lives.

These things all happen to bring us to where we are and where we are going. A true leader is continually searching out opportunities to change, grow, innovate, and improve. It is through this and the experiments we do, the risks we take, that we can learn from our mistakes and move forward.

It all starts with a vision for something better. A better mousetrap, a better community, a better world, a happier life. This vision is contagious in its desire to be uplifting and enabling. By sharing this vision and appealing to others who have similar values, interests, hopes, and dreams, we create this better place.

But we can’t do it alone – we must enable others to act. You need to give them the room to be their better selves. You do this through fostering collaboration, teamwork, promoting cooperative goals, and building trust.

You grow stronger by giving your strength away. If you share the flame from your candle to another, we have two candle power, not one. Provide choices, develop competence in others, make available every and all support that you can. From there celebrate small wins and large victories at every opportunity.

Be the model of what true leadership is. Moses did, Jesus did, and you can too!

 

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