Sharing Your Leadership Like Moses
“If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.”
— John C. Maxwell
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Why is sharing the load of leadership so difficult? No matter if it is the leadership role we have at work, in our families, or a calling that God has put on our heart, delegating our burdens can be a challenge for us all.
In the book of Exodus, Moses faced the same challenge as he led the people of Israel. After God delivered the people from slavery in Egypt, they spent time living in the desert. Moses had taken it upon himself to judge all the disputes of thousands of people.
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, taught Moses about the importance of delegation and sharing the burden of leadership, saying, “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone” (Exodus 18:18).
Of course, this straightforward message is not news to any of us. Yet many of us leaders often struggle to delegate well. Here are some practical principles from this story that we can apply in our own lives and leadership to help us to loosen our grip and share our burden.
Have People Tell You Truth
One of the first things we see is that Moses did not have others around him who were able to see the truth or willing to tell it to him. Presumably, Moses had been judging this way for some time, yet this was the first time anyone gave him this advice.
Surround yourself with people you trust who know you well (your strengths and weaknesses) and who will be honest with you. Having the humility to listen to the perspective of another—especially when it is a constructive critique—will challenge you and allow your leadership to grow.
Have an Understanding of Your Calling
When Jethro instructed Moses, he helped Moses identify what to let go of, but also what would be good for the leader to spend his time and energy on, saying, “You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him. Instruct them about the statutes and laws and teach them the way to live and what they must do” (Exodus 18:19b–20).
Jethro seemed to understand Moses’ calling and so could identify what was unnecessary for him to hold onto control of. As we consider our own calling as leaders—in the workplace, at home, and beyond—it is important that we also understand where that calling stops. Though it can be difficult for us, letting go of things that are not ours to hold will allow us space to lean into what is most important while allowing others the opportunity to grow in and discover their own calling.
Have the Right People Join You
Lastly, it is important to point out that Moses didn’t trust just anyone with these important leadership positions. He took his father-in-law’s advice to find “able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit” (Exodus 18:21). Jethro understood that to be a judge—even of small matters—it was vital to have both integrity and ability.
As we consider where to share the burden of leadership, let’s think through carefully whose character and skills we can trust for each specific role. Take the time to train them in what they need to know, but remember that it is not necessarily a bad thing if they do things differently than you would. Let’s work on releasing control and not micromanaging—that would just lead to more work for you in the long run.
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As our responsibilities increase, we will need to share the load of leadership more and more. Let us build a discipline of delegation now so that doing so in the future is something that comes naturally.
To Consider:
1. When or in what area of your life do you most struggle to share the load of leadership? What might it be about that circumstance that makes sharing particularly difficult for you?
2. Of the three principles of delegation we learn in the passage—having people to tell you the truth, having an understanding of your calling, and having the right people join you—which feels the most neglected in your own practice of delegation? How might God be calling you to better implement that principle as you work to share the burden of your leadership?
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