Why did God choose Moses? An introvert case for leadership.

I started reading a book recommended by a very good friend. The book is called Quiet by Susan Cain. This book, in short, explains how the introvert world interacts with the world of the speech. Who we are and how we got into a space of shyness, reflexion and analysis.

In her second chapter, Cain uses my favorite book in the Bible the characteristic of an introvert leader: Exodus. I'll use a paragraph by Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove that best describe what Cain says. Blessed are the introverts:

Probably the most noteworthy example, the leadership model by which all future Jewish leaders are measured, occurs with the introduction of the hero of this week’s parashah and the rest of the Torah – Moses. Moses is the classic introvert. Best as I can tell, prior to the Burning Bush, there is only one line of dialogue attributed to him, significantly, when he witnesses two Israelites quarreling and he asks “Why do you strike your brother?” (Exodus 2:13) At the Burning Bush itself, time after time, God calls Moses to leadership, and each and every time Moses balks and demurs. Despite every divine assurance, Moses claims Lo ish d’varim anokhi, “I am not a man of words, I am heavy of speech and heavy of tongue.” (Ex. 4:10) From this verse the rabbis famously assign Moses a speech impediment, with years of afterschool speech therapy not covered by the Egyptian insurance system. But more simply, I think Moses was simply telling God, “I don’t have the gift of gab, I don’t schmooze, I am better one-on-one … in other words – I am an introvert!” And, in what I think is one of the most thunderous divine responses of all, God booms: “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes one deaf or mute or seeing or blind? Is it not I the Lord?” (Ex. 4:11) As with all of God’s rhetorical questions, the point is rather clear. God is telling Moses, “I know exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are, I know exactly what you and every member of humanity are capable of – the choice of you as leader isn’t an accident or a mix-up. Rather it is just the opposite, it is your very introverted nature that makes you my choice for the task at hand!”(Source: http://pasyn.org/resources/sermons/blessed-are-introverts)

In other words, "people followed Moses because his words were thoughtful, not because he spoke them well (Cain, 2012 page 61).

What makes a good leader?


Book: http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425580756&sr=8-1&keywords=quiet