What is the difference between someone is chosen for a role or when they take on the role themselves?
We are working to understand leadership. When it comes to Beha’alotcha , our current parsha, we have ample opportunities to do so. Leadership makes mistakes, changes, and shows emotions in this parsha. Those emotions get in the way of idealized characters doing a perfect version of their job. Aharon and Miriam complain and gossip, Moses has a meltdown, the people get fussy over what they have to eat.
What does a leader making a mistake look like? How does someone who is supposed to be looked to as a leader supposed to apologize and to what extent when making a mistake?
- An apology should come directly from the leader themselves. They should talk to the people that were affected by the mistake.
- For Miriam, it wasn’t something that she chose. She didn’t choose the way that she apologized by going outside the camp, the punishment was put on her [tzaraat].
- What if [Miriam] didn’t agree with the punishment that was given to her?
What about when someone in the public eye makes a mistake today?
- If it’s someone like the President, they have to make an apology that’s part of their job.
- It’s different depending on who does it. If it’s an influencer or something that’s someone who maybe didn’t want to get famous. A political person is someone who got elected but there’s no way for you to be elected to be famous.
How do we characterise Moses? His job certainly has a lot of occupational hazards and hindrances. What were some moments that we felt characterize him as a leader?
- He works with the people during the golden calf which must have been annoying.
- He has a lot of responsibilities but doesn’t handle them very well.
- He doesn’t distribute power well.
- Without Moses I think all this stuff still would still have happened.
- I don’t think a leader should always be blamed, but I do think they need to take responsibility.
When a leader makes mistakes what is the way that they are to compensate for what they have done?
- You take away what they had!
- For social media influencers that have done something wrong, they made it so they couldn’t monetize their YouTube content.
There are many cases where the rules change, but when it comes to leadership the punishing of their mistakes is difficult and can lead to challenging situations.
- If you make it so a leader is suspended from their job, it could make the company run out of business.
There are many times where we need to take a critical look at those that we choose to look to for influence and leadership. It can be a tough process, but is something we benefit from when we hold ourselves, and them, accountable for our actions.