MOSES - a leadership model

In the organisation that I work for I am privileged to be a part of forum that meets once a month where we discuss how we can improve the quality of educational leadership, services and products that we are engaged in through our different roles.

At one of these meetings, after returning from some time spent with leaders from across the United States at Harvard University, a Kaihautu (Director of Education) presented us with a leadership scenario that he studied and discussed while he was away. It was entitled 'Moses and the Israelites'. We then went on to discuss the leadership traits/characteristics/style that Moses displayed in leading the Israelites out of bondage and into the land "flowing with milk and honey".

This is what I learnt from the leadership of Moses

1) Leaders are born and are made
Moses should not have been alive for there to be a story about him. Instead his mother broke the law to save her son by putting him in a basket and sending him away. Pharoah’s sister also broke the law and having felt compassion for the little stowaway raised him as her own. That is more than luck – some believe it is foreordination – he was fore ordained to be alive and eventually lead the people to freedom. I believe that he was born to be a leader of the people just as I believe that many of us are born to be something in our own lives and to our children and family.

2) Leaders need to have convictions
Once Moses realised what his mission was, he had to go back to the people that he was raised with and tell them that they had got a few things wrong. Now that takes conviction and because of that he was not afraid, of if he was afraid, he did it anyway because he believed it to be right. Leaders need to have the fortitude to stand by what they believe in even if is different to the people who once were their friends.

3) Leaders know their weaknesses
When Moses was called to be the leader - he was reluctant to take it on. He was a realist and knew that one of his weaknesses was with speaking. I'm not sure if he had an impediment or just that he was not a convincing or strong speaker - but whatever it was, his requests for help were answered by Aaron became his spokesman. A leader knows their own weaknesses and are confident enough to surround themselves with people who can fill any skill gaps.

4) Leadership is not easy
The people of Israel were slaves for generations before Moses led them out of Egypt. The by-product of this was that they had been used to being given directions and followed them to the letter. So when they left their homes for the promise of a land of freedom - only to find that they were to trek for some time without the pleasures of their former life, they began to murmur(rebel, moan, discontent). Moses ended up leading this murmuring people for 40 years wandering the wilderness without getting to the land that he knew was there for them. If you are leading a dysfunctional team, I would hope that you would not be doing so for 40 years - but take courage from Moses that despite it all - he continued leading that people and never lost a milligram of integrity. The people eventually got to where they needed to go and because of that we now talk about him hundreds of years later...

5) Leaders ask for help
One of the best characteristics of Moses was that for everything that the people rquested of him - Moses always sought help. The tasks before him was huge and he knew that. Asking for help, or consulting with others to help you develop your own answer - is not a sign of weakness. Instead it is a strength and skill that will make us, as it did Moses a well-rounded leader. He was better supported in his decisions because of it.

What we need to realise is that when leadership is done well, - it can be worthwhile, and for those that we lead, and the ones that follow - finding the land flowing with milk and honey is definitely possible.

Yours in friendship

Mxox