Leadership 101

Day one hundred twenty-nine

My thoughts today are on those in my life that are struggling with issues that seem bigger than they can handle.  I asked the Lord to please bless them with the wisdom they need to successfully deal with their issues, for the courage and strength to face things head on, and for the patience it takes to endure the long-suffering of their trials.  I also asked the Lord to bless them with the ability to feel the comfort and peace from the Spirit and to give my family opportunities to share their burdens.

Exodus 18

Effective Leadership,  Burnout, Delegating, Support Teams are familiar business buzzwords of our time, right?  Well, as much as our society likes to take credit for new and innovative ideas in the business world, these "buzzwords" are just newer names given to some of God's principles in leadership training.  In Exodus 18 God introduces the principles needed to change Israel into an organized nation, Moses gets some much needed Leadership 101 training, and the Israelite people get some relief from standing in line all day!

Moses has a good understanding of what a leader is:  A leader is a servant.  His whole purpose is to invest in others.  It is not all about him.  However, Moses is lacking an understanding of the goal of leadership:  The goal of leadership is to empower others to fulfill the vision that God has given the cause or group, using everyone's unique gifts.  Let's see how God teaches Moses this lesson and how it applies to us.

Exodus 18:1-7 Families and Leadership. What does Moses' family have to do with leadership skills?  I think this goes with the message in 1 Timothy 3:5: "For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?"  Moses is a family man who has been called to take care of God's church and God's people, he has the opportunity to be a good example in family government as he leads.  Finding the balance between work and family can be tough, it is a struggle that we still face today.  Our families are our support system, Moses' family was brought to him by his father-in-law, Jethro, who clearly understands that Moses needs his family's support as he leads.   

Exodus 18:8-11 Recognize the Source of your Power.  Moses has been humble from the beginning of his call from God, in fact, he often felt inadequate to accomplish what God asked.  He is always quick to point out that it is God who is behind the miracles, not him.  When Moses tells Jethro all the things God has done for the the Israelites, he too, recognizes that it is God who made these things possible.  We too need to remain humble, and recognize that God is the power behind us, working through us, to achieve His plan.

Exodus 18:12  Show Others you are Grateful. To show his gratitude toward God, Jethro offers burnt offerings and sacrifices to God, and then shares a meal with Aaron and the others. In what ways can we show God that we are grateful for His support in our lives?  How can we show those around us that we appreciate their support too?  Sometimes two words, Thank You, can be enough!

Exodus 18:17-18  Learn From Others. 

Criticism: There are times in our lives when we all need a Jethro to come in, evaluate the situation, and give us advice on what we are doing wrong. Jethro watches Moses deal with the people, then let's him know that if he keeps trying to lead in this way not only will Moses burnout, but so will the people (no one likes to stand in line and wait their turn from morn until eve!).  Many of us are guilty of doing the same thing as Moses, trying to do all the work ourselves. As Jethro put it, "it's not good".  We have lost sight of the goal of a good leader, to empower others.  How are they supposed to learn if we don't give them the opportunity to try?

Listen:  Jethro is great because he doesn't just point out what is going wrong, he shares a plan on how to make it better.  The Lord will put people like Jethro in our lives to give us advice, but it is up to us to listen!

Exodus 18:20-26 Jethro's Advice.  Jethro basically tells Moses that he needs to be a mentor to the people.  He gives Moses the following steps to take:

Setting Expectations:  Teach the people the laws and the ordinances.  We all need to know what is expected of us.  It is a lot like parenting, we teach our children how we expect them to behave and why, and then we explain that there are consequences for actions regarding these expectations.  Good leaders know that letting people know what you need from them for the best possible outcome gives them the opportunity to learn to set goals and improve so they can meet those needs. (v 20)

Lead by Example:  Show them what to do and how to do it.  Emulate the behavior you wish to see in those around you.  A good leader cannot be a hypocrite, you have to live what you teach.  This reminds me of the times I did or said something I shouldn't have in front of my kids and the next thing you know they are doing it.  You try to correct the behavior and they say to you, "But you did it!".  Not my best parenting moments, but great teaching moments for me! (v 20)

Empower Others:  Jethro tells Moses that he has to learn to delegate by building a support team.  He even gives Moses a list of characteristics to look for in choosing people to be on this support team:  able men (they need to be skilled in whatever area they will lead), they should love God, be honest, and hate dishonest gain. (v 21)

Organize:  Divide the people into groups with designated leaders.  He proposes groups of 10's, 50's, 100's, and 1000's.  These are workable group numbers and provide for leadership opportunities for all levels of experience.  (v 21). 

Set parameters: Moses should be the one to deal with the really big issues, but these designated leaders can deal with the small, everyday business.  This way the burdens aren't cast onto one person, but are shared and easier to carry.

Seek the Lord's input:  Jethro tells Moses to verify this plan with the Lord and if the Lord commands him that these things are good, then implement them!  Jethro is saying, don't just take my word for it, check with God and see for yourself if this is the right direction to go! (v 23)

Follow the Plan:  Put it into play and stick with it!  That includes the hardest part, which is, to put your trust in the people you choose and allow them to make the decisions, even if it isn't the way you would do it!  (v 24-26)

Jethro is a great teacher.  I really enjoyed his Leadership 101 lesson in this chapter.  It has given me the opportunity to look at ways I can improve my own leadership skills in my family and my interactions with others.  It got me thinking:  Wouldn't it be great if all governments and businesses were encouraged to follow Jethro's advice! And how about using this model in our homes?  Creating our own little nation where every member is trying to empower the others, giving them opportunities to grow, trusting that the Lord is in the decisions, and allowing each person to make decisions (even if we don't always agree!).  What a great environment to raise our families in!