The concept of leadership is a vast topic that has a plethora of subcategories. I want to focus on what the responsibilities of a leader are. Someone in a position of leadership, is likely to be in a position of power. The word power is ambiguous, it can present itself in many forms, power can be; coercive, emotional and informational (to name a few). It seems to me, the most valuable power that a leader has is the power to empower. Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks writes in his book, ‘Lessons in Leadership’…
“There is a delicate balance between the neglect that leads someone to lack the confidence to do the necessary deed and the excessive praise or favouritism that creates overconfidence and the belief that you are better than others. That balance is necessary if we are to be the sunlight that helps others grow”.
A common definition for leadership is “having the ability to lead”. That is not a very encompassing characterization of the word because it defines the word using the word we wish to define. There is a common misconception that a leader is someone who has a status in society, they have a title and the prestige they own, classifies them as a leader. This is not what a leader is, to lead is to influence. A leader is able to influence the people around them, but they are not influencing their ‘followers’ to copy them, they are ensuring that they become leaders themselves. The leader will give their followers the platform to embark on their own journey of defining their values, goals and ideals. The leader will empower people to succeed.
This has much relevance to the weekly Torah portions that we have read over the past few weeks. We recite the stories of our forefathers and foremothers. We learn in Parshat Lech Lecha that Abraham was put in this role of leadership, where he had the role of spreading the name of G-d. We also learn that Abraham was a very wealthy man which could lead to him having power, the verse states (Bereishit 13:2) , ’אַבְרָם, כָּבֵד מְאֹד, בַּמִּקְנֶה, בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָב׳, meaning that Abraham was very rich in cattle, silver and gold. However, the way that Abraham used his societal status was in a manner that I think we can all learn something from. He ensured that he used his authority to teach others, the verse also states in Bereishit (12:5) וְאֶת־הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ בְחָ֑רָן’’. The early commentators explain that when the verse says that Abraham and Sarah ‘made souls in Haran’, they were in fact completing the previously lacking souls by conveying the idea of monotheism. They were ensuring that they used their position of leadership to empower others, they knew that the Jewish nation would not continue without them sharing the word of G-d with the rest of the people having the ability to find G-d for themselves.
This month I had the privilege of spending Shabbat in Efrat. Efrat is a settlement in the Gush Etzion region that was settled in 1983, led by an exeptional leader called Rabbi Riskin. In 1983 he bought his family and 150 families from his community to Efrat. The story behind the settling of the land is an incredible one. The issues that Rabbi Riskin faced and the determination that he had to overcome adversity was inspiring to hear about on our Shabbat in Efrat. The community that he has built in Efrat is extraordinary, they live lives they are constantly fearing the next terrorist attack given the tensions they face with their neighbours . However, the community is a one of leaders. Rabbi Riskin acknowledged that in order for this region to survive it could not be a one man job, he had to ensure that he empowered the members to take responsibility. An example of this was the fact that there is a group of people called the כיתת כוננות, the ‘emergency squad’. Their role is to be the first response to any danger in the area, it is a group of around thirty fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, who put their life on the line whenever they are called upon. I was privileged enough to stay at the house of a member of this group which was a very eye opening experience. This is what it means to not use your status as a leader to exercise authority, it is what is means to know when you have to delegate and most importantly to empower others. The manifestation of these leadership attributes is a community which is thriving, despite the testing lives they lead.
I think that this style of leadership was evident in the short life that Yoni lived. There are many testimonies and memories written by Yonis’ nearest and dearest. One of them reads as follows; “Yoni won respect from the kids very quickly. Whenever he had something to say, they would listen. His groups were always popular – full of fun and inspiration. Whether dressed as a fluffy animal or sitting down discussing the problems that Israel faces today, Yoni was there and was appreciated.” An individual who simply pushes their own itinerary and uses their position of power to be authoritative is not a leader who is respected. The testimony suggests that this is everything that Yoni was not, he was able to share his wisdom with his Chanichim but at the same time he allowed them to have a platform, to share their thoughts and to become leaders in their own rights.
We can learn many lessons from these great leaders, to understand that when we are in a position of power we must make sure that we let others thrive under our leadership, to ensure that we create the next generation of leaders.
“True leaders understand that leadership is not about them but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up.” – Sheri D Lew
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