Faith & Leadership Series: Teamwork is Key
As I continue to read through the Old Testament, I’m continually surprised at the new things I’m learning and that are sticking out to me that I have never noticed before! Now that I’m revisiting some of these famous Bible stories as an adult, I’m looking at things with a new perspective.
In Exodus 18, Jethro, Moses’ Father in Law, visits with Moses. At that time, Moses was leading the Israelites after their escape from Egypt. Because the Israelites were many, conflicts arose amongst the people. This would be expected with such a populous group! As leader, Moses was acting as a judge, hearing disputes and deciding between parties, based upon God’s laws. Jethro was a wise man, and he offered Moses some key leadership advice, which he shared in Exodus 18: 18-19; 21-22: “You and these people who come to you will only wear themselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you…But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.:
Even in ancient times, we see common sense organizational leadership! What are some of the takeaways?
Organized delegation is needed. Many leaders may struggle with this, as they often see no one else is able to do the tasks but themselves. If this happens though, any leader can wear or burn themselves out. Delegation allows other leaders to emerge and can ensure needs are met in a timely fashion with efficient yet accurate decision-making. This allowed Moses to take on the most challenging cases and provide the time and wisdom needed in order to make the best decision, while other leaders could ensure other needs that were still important but did not require such intensive decision making to be met.
Identify strong, honest, and trustworthy leaders. No matter what organization you lead, it is important to identify capable leaders with ethics. This will gain trust from constituents and ensure appropriate decisions are made.
Teamwork is key. Without support from others, even the most efficient, organized, intelligent, and capable leader will burnout or will be unable to meet or address all needs. Without teamwork or the appropriate support, other minor needs may not be met, leading to disgruntled employees and customers and an inability to move forward with initiatives.
Next time you are overwhelmed but feel you need to do it all, remember the wisdom of Jethro in providing support to Moses during his leadership of the Israelites.
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