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This is so even in secular leadership. Glad- Moses is saying two things about leader- solved and challenges ahead. Leaders hear
stone had a library of more than 30,000 ship. A leader must lead from the front: this as a call to light a candle instead of
books. He read more than 20,000 of them. he or she must “go out before them.” But cursing the darkness. They lead because
Gladstone and Disraeli were both prolific a leader must not be so far out in front they know that to stand idly by and expect
writers. Winston Churchill wrote some 50 that, when he turns around, he finds no others to do the work is the too-easy
books and won the Nobel Prize for Litera- one following. He must “lead them out,” option. The responsible life is the best
ture. Visit David Ben-Gurion’s house in Tel meaning, he must carry people with him. life there is, and is worth all the pain and
Aviv and you will see that it is essentially He must go at a pace that people can bear. frustration.
a library with 20,000 books. One of Moses’ deepest frustrations – we To lead is to serve – the highest accolade
Study makes the difference between the sense it throughout the biblical narrative Moses ever received was to be called eved
statesman and the politician, between the – is the sheer time it takes for people to Hashem, “G-d’s servant,” and there is no
transformative leader and the manager. change. In the end, it would take a new gen- higher honor.
eration and a new leader to lead the people
across the Jordan and into the promised
5 Leadership means believ- land. Hence the rabbis’ great saying: “It is  This article was published in The Jewish
not for you to complete the task but neither
ing in the people you lead
Chronicle in June 2012.
are you free to desist from it.”
The rabbis gave a remarkable interpre- Leadership involves a delicate balance
tation of the passage where Moses says between impatience and patience. Go too
about the Israelites, “They will not believe fast and people resist and rebel. Go too
in me.” G-d said to Moses: “They are believ- slow and they become complacent. Trans-
ers, the children of believers, but in the formation takes time, often more than a
end you will not believe.” They also said single generation.
that the sign G-d gave Moses when his
hand became leprous (Ex. 4:6) was a pun-
ishment for casting doubt on the Israel- 7 Leadership is stressful and
ites. A leader must have faith in the people emotionally demanding
he or she leads.
There is a profound principle at stake Transformative leaders see the need for
here. Judaism prefers the leadership of people to change. But people resist change
influence to the leadership of power. Kings and expect the work to be done for
had power. Prophets had influence but no them by the leader. When the leader
power at all. Power lifts the leader above hands the challenge back, the people
the people. Influence lifts the people above then turn on him and blame him
their former selves. Influence respects for their troubles. So Moses is to
people; power controls people. Judaism, blame for the hardships of the
which has the highest view of human desert. Elijah is to blame for
dignity of any major religion, is therefore disturbing the peace. Jeremiah
deeply skeptical about power and deeply is to blame for the Babylonians.
No wonder that the most trans-
serious about influence.
formative leaders feel, at times,
Hence one of Judaism’s greatest insights burnout and despair.
into leadership: the highest form of leadership
is teaching. Power begets followers. Teach- Why then do they lead? Not
because they believe in them-
ing creates leaders.
selves. The greatest Jewish lead-
ers doubted their ability to lead.
6 Leadership involves a Moses said, “Who am I?” “They
will not believe in me.” “I am not
sense of timing and pace
a man of words.” Isaiah said, “I am a
man of unclean lips.” Jeremiah said, “I
When Moses asks G-d to choose his suc-
cessor, he says: “May the L-rd, the G-d who cannot speak for I am a child.” Jonah,
gives breath to all living things, appoint faced with the challenge of leadership,
someone over this community to go out ran away.
before them and come in before them, Leaders lead because there is work to
who will lead them out and bring them do, there are people in need, there is
in” (Num. 27:16–17). Why the apparent injustice to be fought, there is wrong
repetition? to be righted, there are problems to be

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(PHOTO: BLAKE EZRA PHOTOGRAPHY/THE RABBI SACKS LEGACY TRUST)