Moses and the Journey to Leadership , livre ebook

OTHER JEWISH LIGHTS BOOKS BY NORMAN J. COHEN
Hineini in Our Lives: Learning How to Respond to Others through 14 Biblical Texts Personal Stories
Self, Struggle Change: Family Conflict Stories in Genesis and Their Healing Insights for Our Lives
Voices from Genesis: Guiding Us through the Stages of Life
The Way Into Torah

Moses and the Journey to Leadership :
Timeless Lessons of Effective Management from the Bible and Today s Leaders
2008 Quality Paperback Edition, Second Printing
2008 Quality Paperback Edition, First Printing
2007 Hardcover Edition, First Printing
2007 by Norman J. Cohen
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cohen, Norman J.
Moses and the journey to leadership: timeless lessons of effective management from the Bible and today s leaders / Norman J. Cohen.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58023-227-2 (hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-58023-227-2 (hardcover)
1. Moses (Biblical leader) 2. Bible. O.T. Pentateuch-Criticism, interpretation,
etc. 3. Leadership-Moral and ethical aspects. 4. Management-
Moral and ethical aspects. I. Title.
BS580.M6C643 2006
222'.1092-dc22
2006024842
ISBN-13: 978-1-58023-351-4 (quality pbk.)
ISBN-10: 1-58023-351-1 (quality pbk.)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Manufactured in the United States of America
For People of All Faiths, All Backgrounds
Published by Jewish Lights Publishing
A Division of LongHill Partners, Inc.
Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, P.O. Box 237
Woodstock, VT 05091
Tel: (802) 457-4000 Fax: (802) 457-4004
www.jewishlights.com
To my teacher and mentor at
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion,
Dr. Paul M. Steinberg, z l ,
who taught me how one can lead with both vision and purpose, while manifesting care and concern
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Showing the Potential for Leadership- Exodus 2
2. The Calling: Overcoming Self-Doubt- Exodus 3-4
3. The Vision of Leadership- Exodus 6:2-13
4. We Possess the Power and the Ability- Exodus 14:10-16
5. The Leader s Unique Song- Exodus 15:1-21
6. We Can Survive the Desert and Sweeten the Waters- Exodus 15:22-27
7. The Burden of Leadership- Exodus 17:1-7
8. The Leader Needs Support- Exodus 17:8-16
9. A Key to Leadership: Empowerment- Exodus 18:13-27
10. The Leader s Vision- Exodus 19
11. In the Face of Challenge and Rejection- Exodus 32
12. Hearing Criticism: Knowing How to Respond- Numbers 12
13. Making Tough Decisions; Meeting Challenges- Numbers 16, 17:1-6
14. Balancing the Personal and the Professional- Numbers 20:1-13; 21:16-19
15. Leaders Struggle with Their Mortality- Deuteronomy 3:23-28
16. Raising Up the Next Generation of Leaders- Deuteronomy 31
Conclusion
Notes
Suggestions for Further Reading
About Jewish Lights
Copyright
Acknowledgments
Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated. And the Israelites bewailed Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days. The period of wailing and mourning came to an end. Now Joshua, the son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the Israelites heeded him, doing as Adonai commanded Moses.
Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses whom Adonai singled out, face to face, for the various signs and portents that Adonai sent him to display in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his courtiers and his whole country, and for all the great might and awesome power that Moses displayed before all Israel.
Deuteronomy 34:7-12
The description of Moses s death at the end of the Torah underscores his uniqueness as a leader. Not only does he enjoy a singular relationship with God, seeing the Divine face to face, but, as a result, he performs miracles and exhibits a power that enables him to save the People of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Witnessing such power and ability, the Israelites recognize that there will never be another leader like Moses. Even when he dies, his vigor, wisdom, and passion are intact.
Therefore, who better than Moses to hold up as a paradigm from whom every future leader can learn? His vision, actions, and skills serve as models for future generations of aspiring leaders, including those of our day. The Israelites fittingly wail and mourn his death.
Yet, in the very biblical passage in which Moses s uniqueness is stressed, we are also reminded that Joshua immediately assumes leadership, commanding the Israelites respect. Though Moses may have been one of a kind- There never again will be a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 34:10)-Joshua is also imbued with wisdom, a prerequisite for all successful leaders.
But there is more. Moses actually prepares his disciple to take his place, understanding that continuity in leadership is crucial. All leaders need to cultivate and nurture the next generation of leaders. The most successful leaders are those who share their passion and knowledge with their successors, imbuing them with the skills and insights to assume the mantle of leadership.
As I look back on my own years of service at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), there were many individuals along the way who had a tremendous impact upon me and my future career. Whatever success I have achieved as a faculty member, dean, and provost is in large measure the result of the wonderful models from whom I learned. As a teenager in the Zionist youth movement, Young Judaea, I had the good fortune to find powerful role models, leaders who not only touched my heart, mind, and soul, but who embodied the essence of what it is to lead others. And as a rabbinical student in the New York School of HUC-JIR and as a PhD candidate in our Graduate School in Cincinnati, I was blessed with many wonderful teachers and administrators who had a profound impact upon me. I owe so many individuals a debt of thanks, but none more than Dr. Paul M. Steinberg, z l .
Paul Steinberg served HUC-JIR for fifty years in a variety of capacities, helping to build and expand its vision and programs in significant ways. But as program director, dean, and vice president on the New York campus, he influenced the lives of generations of rabbinical, cantorial, and education students. As his student and his successor as dean of the New York School, as well as his colleague in the national administration, I consider Paul Steinberg a true mentor. For me, he embodied a deep sense of caring and concern toward all those whom he led and with whom he worked. And through his unflinching support and guidance, I was able to grow in my own roles as an administrator. In succeeding him as dean of the New York School, I inherited a powerfully supportive role model and friend. Of all of Paul Steinberg s contributions to HUC-JIR, none was more important than his gifts of self. Paul embraced me and so many others, as he embraced life itself, up until the moment of his passing, and we shall ever embrace his memory.
I have also learned much from and am grateful to several individuals at Jewish Lights Publishing. Art Kleiner s insightful editorial comments and his many suggestions about the nature of leadership and about the characteristics of leaders have added much to the book s content, for which I am appreciative. Jewish Lights talented Emily Wichland, through her masterful editing of the manuscript, has markedly improved the book, making it eminently more readable. Like many of the books she s worked on at Jewish Lights, mine has benefited greatly from her wisdom. I am also grateful to copyeditor Diana Drew, whose keen eye for grammar and the technical elements of style helped shepherd this work to final production. Finally, let it be said that none of the books which I have written would ever have seen the light of day without the support, encouragement, and prodding of Stuart M. Matlins, founder and publisher of Jewish Lights Publishing. It was his vision of a Jewish publishing company that would help transform Jewish life and bring the riches of the Jewish tradition to bear on our search for meaning that impelled me through my writing to share the joy of study with a wider audience. I will always be in his debt. It is with a deep sense of blessing, therefore, that I share this work with you, the reader, with the hope that you will recognize the power of the Bible and the rabbinic tradition to respond to enduring questions of meaning that all of us ask, and the relevance of the material about Moses for our understanding of the nature of leadership.
Introduction
Every morning, the newspapers carry a flood of stories about individuals forcibly removed from power because they have either been caught in a web of deceit or they lack the ability to effectively address the difficult challenges faced by all leaders. According to Booz Allen Hamilton s annual study of CEO succession, forced resignations in the world s 2,500 largest companies is up 300 percent since 1995. 1 It is not a stretch to assert that the single most troubling aspect of modern society is a crisis of leadership. In every realm, including politics, economics, and religion, few leaders possess vision and strength, while living lives of integrity based on enduring values.
So where will we find strong leaders-role models who can help us nurture the next generation of leaders for our diverse communities and our world? The events of the twentieth century have shown us that the prevai