LEADERS CONFRONT THEIR DOUBTS AND WEAKNESSES
Every leader brings strengths to the table — and every leader brings weaknesses. Honest leaders acknowledge their struggles and lean into their strengths. Wise leaders go further: they work relentlessly to ignite the passions of their teams and strengthen the areas where they themselves fall short.
After forty years in the wilderness, Moses is finally ready to step back into leadership. God calls him to return to Egypt and lead His people out of bondage. But before Moses takes a single step toward Pharaoh, he has an honest, vulnerable conversation with God about his doubts.
You may or may not identify as religious, but every leader benefits from naming and confronting the struggles that hold them back. Moses’ excuses — and God’s responses — speak to anyone who has ever felt unqualified, insecure, or overwhelmed by responsibility.
This blog draws from the book of Exodus (NIV). Let’s listen in as Moses wrestles with the call to lead.
MOSES’ FIRST EXCUSE: “WHO AM I?”
Exodus 3:11–15
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you[b] will worship God on this mountain.”
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[c] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,[d] the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’
“This is my name forever,
the name you shall call me
from generation to generation.
Moses’ first objection is rooted in a lack of knowledge — specifically, a lack of understanding about who God is. He essentially says, “I’m not enough. I don’t know enough. I’m not qualified.”
Sound familiar?
Many leaders hesitate because they feel underprepared. They fear they don’t know enough to step forward. And here’s the truth: you will never know everything you need to know before you begin.
Your team doesn’t expect perfection. They expect honesty.
But honesty is not an excuse for stagnation. Leaders must cultivate an insatiable hunger to learn. As Tilman Fertitta says, “Get the hunger back. It is easier to ramp up if we stay hungry.”
Settled leaders become stale leaders — and stale leaders don’t inspire anyone.
Moses needed to grow in his knowledge of God. Spiritual leaders today must do the same. God reveals Himself to Moses as YAHWEH — the great I AM — the same faithful God who walked with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He longs to be known. He invites us to call on His name and step forward.
MOSES’ SECOND EXCUSE: “WHAT IF THEY DON’T LISTEN?”
Exodus 4:1–5
4 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,” he replied.
3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
Moses’ second concern is about influence. “What if the people don’t believe me? What if they won’t follow?”
John Maxwell famously said, “Leadership is influence — nothing more, nothing less.”
Moses feared he wouldn’t have enough of it.
God responds by giving Moses a sign — the staff that becomes a snake — not because we should expect the same miracle, but because God was teaching Moses a principle: influence is built, not assumed.
Leaders earn influence by adding value to others, by showing consistency, by demonstrating character, and by investing in the people they lead. Influence is the currency of leadership, and everything rises or falls on it.
MOSES’ THIRD EXCUSE: “I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH.”
Exodus 4:10–12
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
Now Moses turns inward. “I’m slow of speech. I’m not eloquent. I don’t have the skills.”
Ironically, Moses would later become a powerful communicator. But in this moment, he sees only his limitations.
Leaders must be willing to acknowledge their weaknesses — real or perceived. But they must also be willing to confront them. God reminds Moses that He created his mouth, his mind, and his abilities. And the One who created him could also empower him.
Your weaknesses do not disqualify you. They simply remind you that leadership is never meant to be done alone.
MOSES’ FINAL ATTEMPT: “PLEASE SEND SOMEONE ELSE.”
Exodus 4:13–17
13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”
This is Moses’ last stand. No more excuses — just resistance. “Lord, please send someone else.”
God becomes firm. He allows Aaron to join Moses, but He makes it clear: Moses must still step forward.
There comes a moment when every leader must do the same. You can study, prepare, pray, plan, and strategize — but eventually, you must act. You must step into the calling, the responsibility, the opportunity placed before you.
Leadership always requires a moment of surrender. A moment of courage. A moment of obedience.
It is time.
Every leader faces the same crossroads Moses faced: Will you let fear define you, or will you let purpose move you?
Your doubts are real — but they are not final. Your weaknesses are present — but they are not fatal. Your calling is clear — but it will not fulfill itself.
Leaders don’t wait for confidence. Leaders move, and confidence grows as they go.
So take the step. Make the decision. Start the conversation. Begin the work.
The world needs the leader God is shaping in you. Don’t delay. Lead boldly.
