Understanding Leadership Through Moses’ Divine Calling and Strategic Preparation.
Author: Serah W. Maina
The topic has been extensively covered by renowned church leaders and authors, many of whom “I am not fit to touch a throng of their sandals.” Today’s approach will be through a Bible character study to help us explore who a leader is and what they can do.
Moses: A Leader Born and Made
Moses, the son of the Levites, was born after a time when the Israelites had experienced a period of great growth and prosperity under Joseph’s watch while in Egypt (Exodus 1:7). The King of Egypt, Pharaoh, feared this growth and ordered that slave masters be put in place to oppress the Israelites through hard labor and that every boy child born to the Hebrew women be killed (be thrown into the river Nile to be precise).
Moses, the leader, was born. His mother hid him for three months (one wonders how she managed to keep him quiet, but yes, leaders are born). She recognized the unique purpose of her baby boy and fought to protect this purpose in every way she could. God had predestined Moses for a specific assignment, and Moses had to live to fulfill this purpose.
The saying “Leaders are born” has long been debated. I take the approach that “yes, leaders are born” to mean they have a birth history. For Moses to be born, God had a purpose: that Moses would rescue the children of Israel from the hands of Pharaoh, the Egyptian leader. Leaders are made. To make is defined (as a verb) to form by putting parts together or combining substances; to create. Your assignment will make you.
In Exodus 2:11, Moses “went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor.” Ever asked yourself why some leaders fit so well in their assigned roles while others seem mismatched? It is because one can only lead in the area designed for them. Moses was made bold by what he saw—the hard labor and oppression of his people—and he had the passion to rescue the Israelites.
Moses had lived in the palace as Pharaoh’s grandson and must have gained a lot of exposure on how to face the enemy. Every grandfather (at least most of them) would love to train their grandchildren in many tactics. So, Moses was made at the palace, in the able hands of Pharaoh. A good leader must be well-trained, equipped, and skilled for the assignment they wish to lead. Moses became a leader in the making as he grew in the palace, and his boldness and great self-esteem tell it all.
Leaders are strategic, or should I say, they discern God’s strategies and follow them to reach their intended goals. Moses fled to Midian when Pharaoh tried to kill him for avenging the death of an Egyptian. By sitting at the well, Moses was in the right place to offer help to the daughters of Reuel. His good gesture earned him a place to stay, where he strategically found a wife, Zipporah. As he grazed the sheep, Moses again drew near to Mt. Horeb, where he met with God face to face (Exodus 3:6b: “At this, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God”). By being in the right place at the right time, Moses had a great encounter with God at the mountain of God. He was strategically positioned to hear from God, which made all the difference in the way he led the children of Israel out of Egypt and throughout their journey. God gave Moses the divine strategy—I call it the “I AM” strategy, the unbeatable strategy of all time.
A leader is able to influence. From his famous quotes, Dr. Myles Munroe says, “Leaders don’t seek followers. Followers are attracted to leaders.” Leadership is about the impact one makes rather than the number of followers one can attract at any time. Paul emphasized this in his letter to the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:16: “Therefore I urge you to imitate me”). Paul was confident that he had the ability to influence and that people would follow his way of life and faith in Jesus Christ and benefit from it. Moses, though a stammerer, was able to influence Pharaoh to let the people go, and he rescued the children of Israel from slavery, guiding them through the trying times in the wilderness.
Yes, a leader is born, made, uses strategy, and impacts those they lead.
“Leaders are born with a purpose, made through experiences, guided by divine strategy, and empowered to influence those they lead.”
— Serah W. Maina
Welcome to this insightful exploration of leadership—a topic extensively covered by esteemed church leaders and authors, many of whom I deeply admire. Today, we will dive into the concept of leadership through a character study from the Bible. Who exactly is a leader, and what can they achieve? Let’s find out by examining the story of Moses.
Moses: A Leader Born and Made
Moses was born during a time when the Israelites experienced significant growth and prosperity under Joseph’s guidance in Egypt (Exodus 1:7). Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, felt threatened by this growth and ordered the oppression of the Israelites through forced labor and the killing of every Hebrew boy born (specifically, by throwing them into the Nile).
Enter Moses, the Leader: Moses’ mother hid him for three months (one wonders how she managed to keep him quiet, but yes, leaders are born). She recognized her son’s unique purpose and fought to protect him in every way possible. God had predestined Moses for a specific mission—to rescue the Israelites from Pharaoh’s grip. Moses had to live to fulfill this divine purpose.
Leaders Are Born
The phrase “Leaders are born” has long been debated. My take? Yes, leaders are born, meaning they have a birth history. For Moses, his birth had a purpose: to rescue the children of Israel from Pharaoh.
Leaders Are Made
To make means to form by putting parts together or combining substances—to create. Your assignment will make you. In Exodus 2:11, Moses “went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor.” Ever wonder why some leaders fit perfectly in their roles while others seem mismatched? It’s because one can only lead in the area designed for them. Moses was emboldened by witnessing the hard labor and oppression of his people and had the passion to rescue them.
Moses, raised as Pharaoh’s grandson in the palace, gained invaluable exposure to leadership tactics. Imagine a grandfather’s eagerness to train his grandchildren! Moses was made in the palace, under Pharaoh’s tutelage. A good leader must be well-trained, equipped, and skilled for their assignment. Moses grew into a leader with boldness and great self-esteem.
Leaders Are Strategic
Leaders discern and follow divine strategies to reach their goals. Moses fled to Midian when Pharaoh tried to kill him for avenging an Egyptian’s death. Sitting at a well, Moses was in the right place to help Reuel’s daughters, earning him a place to stay and a wife, Zipporah. As he grazed sheep, Moses again approached Mt. Horeb, where he met God face-to-face (Exodus 3:6b: “At this, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God”). By being in the right place at the right time, Moses had a great encounter with God on the mountain, receiving the divine “I AM” strategy—an unbeatable plan for leading the Israelites out of Egypt and through their journey. God gave Moses the blueprint for success.
Leaders Influence
Dr. Myles Munroe famously said, “Leaders don’t seek followers. Followers are attracted to leaders.” Leadership is about the impact one makes, not the number of followers they attract. Paul emphasized this in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 4:16: “Therefore I urge you to imitate me”). Paul was confident in his ability to influence and believed people would benefit from his way of life and faith in Jesus Christ. Similarly, Moses, despite his stammer, influenced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go and led them through the wilderness’s trials.
In conclusion, a leader is born, made, uses strategy, and impacts those they lead.
Mrs. Serah Maina is an ASLEAD Nairobi Region Overseer & Tutor.