The Blunt Reality of Leadership

So first let me say that I’m going out on a limb here and referencing the Bible in my Friday Focus this week. I promise I’m not preaching, and in this particular instance, really am simply referencing something I read in a book this week. If you feel that might be offensive to you, please stop reading and enjoy your day : )

Okay, now on to our MAD leader focus:

There is a section in Exodus chapter 18 that I think must be one of the first “leadership lessons” ever written (over 2000 years ago, after all). The lesson comes from Jethro to Moses (Jethro was Moses’ father-in-law) and includes some very wise words we should all hear (and act upon).

Moses was a leader…regardless of your religious persuasion, you have probably heard stories or songs referring to Moses leading his people out of Egypt. He cared for them, listened to their concerns, communicated with them, and served as their “commander in chief” when they needed to go to battle. Any of that sound familiar? Because it seems to me except for the leading out of Egypt part, that is what you do every day as well.

And, just like you, Moses had to be getting tired. The chapter shows his tiredness when others had to hold Moses’ hands up for him until the battle was completed, but he had to be getting tired during the “ordinary times,” as well, simply by being the person everyone turned to when there was “grumbling” among the people.

You know as well as I do that when you are seen as a leader in any group of people, it’s tiring to be the one that everyone goes to for answers, complaints, decisions, and even blame. It’s hard to be the “buck stops here” person, and there is no doubt that it is tiring.

Jethro (the father-in-law) visited Moses, and he must have recognized that Moses was trying to do all of the “leading” by himself, and that was not good for either Moses or the people. He said to Moses, “You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.”

Jethro was pretty blunt, wasn’t he? “You cannot handle it alone.” Not, “you will get tired,” or “you will eventually wear out,” or “it might be too much for you,” but instead, a no-question-about-it “you cannot handle it alone.”

I’ve actually talked to quite a few of you these past two weeks about building your teams, delegating tasks that someone else can do, giving yourself more time to focus on the “leader things” that only you can do. And I’ve talked to more than a few of you about the stress, the weariness, honestly, the sheer exhaustion that has come from 2 solid years covid plus a third year of remnants of covid-hard times. I guess that is why when I read this chapter of Exodus, I thought I should share it with you, just as I do so many things I read or hear on podcasts, etc.

Jethro was certainly on to something. We can lighten our own load and also show our respect to others if we will first teach them and then show them what and how to do what we have taught. Once we have done that, we select those who are capable and trustworthy and develop them to be leaders. As Jethro said, “That will make your load lighter; because they will share it with you.”

Jethro was talking to Moses in a very different environment and situation, but the point remains the same … If you teach and show your people how to do something, and let them know that you believe they are capable and trustworthy, your load will become lighter.

We need to share the load with others in order to survive, and especially in order to thrive.

Let’s figure this out!