There are moments when the difference becomes clear between a manager who leads an organization and one who is mainly trying to maintain control. That difference usually does not appear during routine periods, but when a new voice emerges from within the system, an unexpected idea, an unusual initiative, or a person who begins to stand out beyond what the organization had planned for them.
Surprisingly, one of the most familiar managerial dilemmas already appears in this week’s Torah portion.
Ziv Elul on Behaalotecha Torah Portion
Eldad and Medad begin to prophesy within the camp. They are not part of the official structure that was established, they did not come through the accepted path and they are not operating within the established order. From Joshua son of Nun’s perspective, this is a deviation that could undermine the entire system, and his response is immediate: “My lord Moses, restrain them!”
It is a deeply human response — and perhaps a deeply organizational one as well.
Almost every organization reaches the point where someone who was “not supposed” to be at the center suddenly becomes too significant. A young employee identifies a trend no one else noticed. A new manager questions a core assumption that has become accepted wisdom. An internal entrepreneur proposes a direction that challenges long-standing processes. In moments like these, the real question emerges: Is the organization seeking talent — or merely obedience?
Moses’ response is extraordinary even by the standards of modern management. Instead of seeing a threat, he sees a blessing. Instead of keeping authority centered on himself, he says: “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets.”
This is not merely an act of personal humility. It is a complete leadership philosophy.
Rabbi Isaac Arama, author of Akeidat Yitzchak, explains that Moses’ greatness lay not only in his wisdom or leadership abilities, but in his rare capacity not to feel threatened by the growth of others. On the contrary, he welcomed it. He did not seek to remain the sole holder of the spirit, but to spread it.
There is a particularly deep managerial insight here. Weak managers tend to surround themselves with people who reinforce their status. Strong managers seek people who strengthen the organization.
The distinction may sound small, but in practice it creates two entirely different cultures. The first creates an environment in which people quickly learn what not to say, which questions are better left unasked and when silence is preferable. The second creates a place where challenging assumptions, proposing ideas and thinking differently are allowed.
Many organizations speak about innovation, creativity and thinking outside the box, but in practice mainly reward conformity. They invite new ideas — as long as those ideas do not challenge the status quo too much. In this way, almost imperceptibly, an organizational culture develops that appears quiet and orderly from the outside but is hollow on the inside.
The philosopher Aristotle distinguished between those who hold power and those who possess virtue. In his view, a leader’s role is not to accumulate authority but to enable others to fully realize their capabilities. Leadership is not measured by the number of people dependent on the leader, but by the quality of the people the leader succeeds in building around him.
The business world has repeatedly shown that companies that suffered significant setbacks did not always lack information or talent. Sometimes they simply failed to listen to voices that contradicted the prevailing view. Not because warning signs were absent, but because the system itself did not know how to absorb them.
That is why leading organizations now invest in all-hands meetings, roundtables, open forums and cross-functional feedback mechanisms. Not because it sounds culturally appealing, but because they understand that the most meaningful ideas sometimes come from precisely the places they least expected.
Over the years, I have met quite a few managers who claimed to want strong employees, but became uneasy when they actually encountered them. As long as talent remains theoretical, everyone likes the idea. The real test comes when that person begins asking difficult questions, thinking differently or highlighting points that may be uncomfortable to hear.
This is precisely where leadership is tested.
Moses offers a completely different model: leadership that does not fear the spread of ideas, initiative and human potential. Leadership that understands its role is not to be the only smart person in the room, but to build a room where others are also allowed to be smart.
Because in the end, a manager is not measured by how much light he generates himself, but by how many candles he succeeds in lighting around him.