Leadership lessons from biblical Noah, Moses

“You don’t need to be the tide to rise and fall, you don’t have to be a wave to touch the shore; just be a little sand-grain and feel them all.”

This famous quote was made by Munia Khan. From his perspective, the messiness of life is that we harbour multitudes and have to contend with the shifts - not knowing when to please and displease the inner circle for us to attain the bigger picture that brings true joy to our lives.

Like the rest of us, leaders are complicated creatures, always trying to balance being the water that is flowing, flexible and soft, and still subtly powerful and open. The biblical story of Noah and Moses comes to mind when I look at what most of us leaders keep chasing at the expense of those close to us or failing to attain the superordinate goals mapped to our destiny.

Leadership is the ability to create true followers, making sound and challenging decisions, setting a clear vision, achievable goals, and equipping your team with the required knowledge to attain the set goals. 

The two men had something in common: they had an inner calling to save humankind, one of the fundamentals of a servant leader.They also demonstrated to have a deep zeal to champion the multistakeholders’ goals and aspirations.

Moses inspired both the Israelites to leave their comfort zone and focus on a “painful” journey to a beautiful destiny.

However, he was quick to anger and eventually killed, cursed, and implemented directives in a manner that annoyed his master, God. Noah, on the other hand, seems a very obedient man, making a call to the world to help build the arch to save humankind from destruction.

However, Noah only managed to convince his own family.  

He may have done better to achieve the bigger picture of winning the hearts and the minds of the majority. From this biblical story, we can deduce that a good leader accomplishes their goals through the direction of empowered followers, understanding their motivations, and enlists their participation in a way that marries the needs and interests of their purpose.

-The author is business turnaround strategies expert