Exodus 32:11
"And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?"
Every leader will face pitfalls that have the potential to destroy their ability to properly lead. It doesn't matter what the level of leadership you may hold, you are responsible to avoid those pitfalls that will not only hurt your leadership ability, but also hurt those whom you lead. Your ability to identify these pitfalls and avoid them is key to your potential.
Moses was one of the greatest leaders of all time. Early on in his tenure as leader of Israel, He faced three pitfalls that would have turned the whole history of Israel and the world around. He had no idea that his proper handling of these pitfalls would have such an impact, but no leader knows the impact of the handling of potential pitfalls. In the incident with Israel worshipping the golden calf, Moses faced three potential pitfalls that every leader will face.
First, he had the opportunity to use the power of his position to destroy people. God told Moses to leave Him alone because He was going to destroy them. I believe God was testing the meekness of Moses. Moses knew that if God destroyed Israel and made of him a great nation that the enemy would say that God didn't have the power to get them to the Promised Land. Leaders must understand that what they are doing is bigger than them. Just because you have the power to destroy someone does not mean you should do it. Every leader must be careful not to abuse their power and use it to destroy people.
Second, he had the opportunity to lose focus when distractions came. Moses could have easily made this incident about himself, but he understood that everything is about God. You must be careful when distractions come not to become sidetracked and lose your focus as to why you are doing what you do. Every leader will be faced with distractions, and their ability to stay focused on what they are really supposed to do will determine the capacity of their usefulness to God. Always stay focused upon God and your purpose, and you will never limit your capacity.
Third, he had the opportunity to change when those around him were changing. Instead, Moses stood firm when others changed. This will be one of the biggest battles leaders will face. You will be tempted to change because you will become tired of fighting the battle to stand firm on truth. One of the reasons God placed you in your position of leadership is because He knows you can stand firm when others change. Don't let God down! You may become weary with fighting the winds of change, but never let the battles from those winds change your stance on truth. This pitfall of change is great, but you must stand firm when others around you are changing.
These three pitfalls will determine God's ability to use you. Watch out for these three pitfalls and don't let them become your destruction. Moses avoided these three pitfalls and became one of history's greatest leaders. You will never know the influence your leadership will have on history, so avoid these pitfalls so that God can use you to influence future generations for right.