Moses on Management

I just finished a book by David Baron called Moses on Management : 50 Leadership Lessons from the Greatest Manager of All Time. I must say this book gave a unique perspective on a subject that has been extensively written about within organizations, Management Principles.

Baron calls out that if we are able to embrace the the ten commandments and the other 60 603 "laws of human kindness", they will also balance business and the ethics involved. Ten words can be interchanged to describe Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt and though difficult times to leading and managing people in a business environment.

Accept: One must accept the role of leadership, even if reluctant, unwilling, and feel unequipped for the job. Moses on the surface appeared to be the least likely to be a leader, but he was able to step up and lead magnificently. Those that do not see themselves as leaders are the ones with the most innovative ideas.

Assess: Just like Moses has to constantly assess his situation, ( the Egyptians, Jews, environment, terrain) leaders have to also make continuous assessments. Items like assessing your staff, management, culture and goals of an organization are always top of mind.

Connect: Just like Moses made a connection with G-D and the people around him, a manager must also make similar connections. One must establish connections with the goals of the organization and connect with the people you manage.

Deliver: Let's face it, if you deliver results, you earn the respect of your colleagues, bosses and the organization. Moses not only delivered G-d's message to the people, he passed on prayers and pleas that the people had for G-d. A good manager engages in two way communication to his/her subordinates well as management.

Persevere: Moses guided his people for forty years and it was his perseverance that made success possible. Leaders in business must do the same, you must demonstrate that no matter what obstacles arise, you are there for them.

Solve: Business is about solving problems as they always come up. Don't give up, find partners to help if you need to. Moses was always solving problems, finding food, teaching them how to survive and preparing them for a new life. Innovation is probably one of the most critical competencies in business today just like it was back in Moses' time.

Search: Search out people and ideas that will help you. Moses sought out information from many sources, including Egyptian royalty, his family, his experiences from his days when he tended a flock. Just like Moses, a leader in business draws on information from many sources, not just one.

Enforce: As managers, rules must be enforced and if they are not enforced, then they are meaningless. Just like the Ten Commandments prescribes a code for humanity, organizations have policies the procedures that must be followed.

Endow: Moses gave his people a mission, to secure the Promised Land, a belief system and to survive. Managers also endows their subordinates with a mission for the future and beliefs about what a company stands for.

Depart: Know when to pass on the role of leader. What concerned Moses towards the end of his life was making sure his people thrived after he was gone. Good leaders also make plans for the for the next generation to take over and lead.
Note: -- the above was STRONGLY paraphrased from pages 278-285.

If you have a chance, I strongly recommend you take time a read this book. I can tell you that it was a quick read, packed with useful information that ties our past managemen skills to the present.