Should there be specific criteria to what makes a good leader? Or should we leave it up to followers to decide? Influencers are people with online popularity and MPs are voted in by the public. But should we just rely on the people’s choice, or should we have some independent standards?
The Torah speaks about all sorts of leaders and shows them in a supremely human light. Leaders make mistakes, become angry and infuriated and struggle to delegate. Perhaps the Torah is urging us to remember that all people are fallible and not to put too much trust in any leader, however charismatic they may seem. But the Torah also tells us another crucial message about leadership: responsibility. Judaism has high moral expectations of leaders. They are expected to be law abiding, God fearing and not to indulge in the excesses of life. There were rules for kings of Israel. They had to carry a Torah with them at all times and study it every day to remind them that they are, ultimately, always accountable.
Lord Acton famously said, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Jewish teachings are rife with warnings about the dangers of public power. A leader is someone who carries disproportional amounts of power, especially today when social media enables such rapid and vast reach of communication. Leaders need to realise the responsibility that they carry and should be held to account when they misuse their power. In my experience, the greatest leaders are the ones who are the most humble. I feel wary when I meet someone vying for power or revelling in others’ attention. Can we really trust someone to be responsible when they love the limelight and think so much of themselves? Moshe was our greatest leader and was also the most humble man who ever lived.
If someone is truly humble you can feel confident that he or she is using their authority genuinely and is aware of the responsibility that they hold.It takes strength to be a good leader. Let’s all remember to follow responsibly.
