Today I want to briefly share four essential leadership lessons I have learnt from following the life of Moses as the ancient Israelites journeyed through the desert. Let’s read Exodus 17: 8-13 (NLT) together:

While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.

This is a very interesting story and in these few verses I have unpacked deep lessons for any leader. In fact, this story exemplifies the scripture (Habakkuk 2:2) which guides my leadership style.

Moses communicated the vision and plan clearly. The Israelites had been travelling through the desert and news of the exploits of their God had reached the ears of the nations around. Many of them had watched fearfully from a distance, not venturing close to the Israelites. However, the Amalekites saw the Israelites as easy prey and decided to attack them. You can imagine how chaotic it would have been for the Isrealites, most of whom had never seen battle. In fact we know that God had kept them in the desert for this very purpose so that they could learn how to be battle-ready and prepared for the task of settling into the Promised Land (exodus 13:17-18). In their uncertainty, they needed direction and Moses was very clear about the plan: Joshua would lead some men to fight and he would stand on top of a hill holding the staff of God. The first leadership lesson is the importance of communicating the vision and plan as plainly as possible. This is important at all times but even more so in times of uncertainty, change, and transitions. Habakkuk 2:2 admonishes, “Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it…” When the vision is not clearly articulated people simply cannot run with it.

Moses carried his team along. When Moses was going up the hill, he went along with Aaron and Hur. He not only shared the vision but he [literally] carried people along on the journey. Aaron and Hur understood the assignment: As long as Moses held up the staff of the Lord, the Israelites were winning the battle and whenever Moses’ hand came down, the Amalekites had the upper hand. Because they knew the plan and had been carried along, when Moses’ arms became tired they knew what they had to do to ensure contuinity of the plan. They found a stone for him to sit and then helped to carry the burden. They knew that the responsibility of holding the staff up was Moses’ and his alone; as it is with many leaders. Heavy, they say, is the head that wears the crown. Aaron and Hur held up his hand until the sun set and the battle was won. They had bought into the vision and ensured that it was accomplished through a collaborative effort. And herein lies lesson number two. No successful leader can go it alone. The concept of leadership itself negates a solo act and the onus is on the leader to carry people along. The leader, in recognizing the importance of team effort, must play into the strengths of their team and assign responsibility accordingly to ensure that the vision materializes.

Moses delegated responsibly. This attribute of Moses’ leadership, even though we see it in the first story, was refined on the advice of his father-in-law, Jethro. In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law came to visit him and observed that from morning till evening Moses would mediate disputes and settle cases that were brought before him. Jethro cautioned that this leadership model was not sustainble and advised Moses to delegate some of his responsibilities. Now, let’s read Jethro’s advice together in Exodus 18:17-23 (NLT) and glean some lessons about how leaders should use the delegation function responsibly:

“This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”

1. As a leader, there are some tasks that you simply cannot delegate to others. Moses could not shirk his responsibility as the people’s representative before God. It would not have been proper for him to delegate teaching God’s laws and passing God’s instructions to the people. Moses had to be discerning as to what tasks were appropriate to be delegated to others; and similarly, this is always the responsibility of the leader.
2. Delegated tasks should not be assigned to just any one. Jethro advised Moses to lay out a criteria for those who were going to be delegated to solve disputes on his behalf. These men were to be capable, honest, God-fearing, and men of integrity who would not accept bribes. In short, Moses was to vet the delegates to ensure that they had the requisite skillset to take on the delegated tasks. Moses was also to vet how much to delegate to individuals depending on their abilities, ergo, some were to be leaders over groups of one thousand, others one hundred, still others fifty, and some could only handle groups of ten. It was Moses job, as the leader, to determine how much an appointee could handle. It behooves the person who is delegating tasks to ensure that the person receiving the assignment not only has the necessary skills to effectively take on the task, but also has the capacity for the breadth of the task being assigned.

Finally, the last lesson I want to share is the importance of leadership development. In chapter 17, we see Moses asking Joshua to lead some men to battle while he held up the staff. That in itself was a form of delegation. However, in Chapter 18, Moses, through the advice of his father-in-law, learned how to refine his delegation skills. Whether you are a born leader, have been bestowed with the gift of leadership, or have been appointed into a leadership role, you are never done learning how to be better at leading people. Pursue leadership training, read books on leadership, and seek mentorship from experienced leaders so that you can be more effective in that aspect of your life. I take my cue from the scripture that says:

…If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously…

Romans 12: 8b NLT

Yours Truly.