Devotion 10 — Sh’ma and Leadership
Leadership That Listens
Scripture
“Moses heard the people… and he listened to the advice of his father-in-law.”
— Exodus 18:24
Leadership often fails not because leaders lack intelligence or conviction, but because they stop listening.
The pressures of leadership—responsibility, urgency, and the weight of decision-making—can slowly narrow a leader’s field of hearing. What begins as focus can become isolation. What begins as confidence can become certainty. And over time, leaders may find themselves surrounded not by truth, but by affirmation.
The biblical story of Moses and Jethro offers a different model.
Moses is overwhelmed. The people come to him from morning until evening, bringing disputes, questions, and needs. He carries the burden alone, trying to lead, judge, and guide an entire community by himself. The system is unsustainable, even if his intentions are good.
Jethro, his father-in-law, observes what is happening and offers a clear and practical critique: what Moses is doing is not good. The work is too heavy. The structure is flawed. Others must be empowered to share the responsibility.
What is remarkable is not the advice itself—it is that Moses listens.
He is the central leader of the people, the one through whom God has spoken. Jethro, by contrast, stands outside the formal leadership structure. Moses could have dismissed him. He could have defended his approach or interpreted the critique as a challenge to his authority.
Instead, he recognizes wisdom—and changes course.
This moment reveals something essential: leadership is not defined by control, but by openness.
True leadership practices sh’ma.
It listens not only upward—to God—but outward and downward as well: to those affected by decisions, to those who see what leaders cannot, and even to voices outside the established system.
A leader sits in a meeting where concerns are raised about a failing program. Instead of engaging the feedback, they redirect the conversation and move forward with the original plan. The decision is made—but the underlying problem remains unheard.
This is how leadership begins to break down.
The failure is rarely immediate or intentional. It unfolds gradually. A leader listens—but only selectively. Then they begin to filter out voices that are inconvenient or uncomfortable. Over time, they rely more heavily on those who affirm their perspective. Eventually, they stop hearing anything that challenges them at all.
When this happens, judgment becomes distorted.
Decisions may still be made efficiently. Authority may still be exercised confidently. But the connection to reality begins to weaken, because reality is no longer being fully heard.
This is why listening is not a soft skill in leadership—it is a structural necessity.
Without listening, leaders lose access to truth.
The story of Moses and Jethro also reminds us that wisdom is not confined to hierarchy. Jethro’s insight comes from observation, experience, and perspective that Moses, in his position, cannot fully see. By listening, Moses expands his capacity to lead.
By refusing to listen, he would have limited it.
This dynamic extends beyond formal leadership roles.
All of us lead in some capacity—within families, workplaces, communities, and relationships. Wherever our decisions affect others, the call to sh’ma applies.
Are we listening only to those who agree with us?
Are we overlooking voices because of status, familiarity, or pride?
Are we open to being corrected?
Leadership that listens creates space for shared wisdom. It distributes responsibility. It strengthens communities by ensuring that more than one perspective shapes the outcome.
Leadership that does not listen may appear strong for a time, but it becomes increasingly fragile. It depends on limited information, resists correction, and struggles to adapt when circumstances change.
This is why sh’ma is not optional—it is protective.
It guards leaders from isolation.
It protects communities from the consequences of unchecked authority.
It keeps leadership responsive, grounded, and alive to truth.
Listening does not weaken leadership.
It strengthens it.
It allows leaders to see more clearly, decide more wisely, and serve more faithfully. It transforms leadership from a burden carried alone into a responsibility shared with others.
Moses’ greatness is not found only in his calling, but in his willingness to listen.
And that remains the measure of leadership today.
Reflection Questions
Do I welcome correction or wise counsel?
Are there voices I overlook because of pride or position?
Where might listening expand my capacity to lead more faithfully?
Prayer
God of wisdom,
teach us to lead with listening hearts.
Help us welcome counsel,
hear the needs of others,
and remain open to truth.
May our leadership reflect humility,
and may our listening strengthen those we serve.
Amen.