Everybody has blindspots. I remember renting a Dodge Challenger. I loved driving that car around town while my Charger was getting worked on. The problem is the Challenger has terrible blindspots.

As leaders, we have to admit that we have some pretty bad blindspots. Even though people clearly see them, we cannot because we’re blind to them.

Blindspots in your leadership are what hold back your ministry.

Every leader has blindspots. Think about the greatest leaders in the world; they are no different than us. They have blindspots, we have blind spots, every leader has blindspots.

Moses, 0ne of the greatest leaders God has ever used, had obvious blindspots. Fortunately, God put a mentor in Moses’ life to expose his blindspots in leadership and ministry.

Every leader needs someone older and more spiritually mature to be lead by.

Here are 5 Leadership Lessons I see from Exodus 18. 

1. Jethro was Moses’ older father-in-law (18:17). Jethro obviously knew Moses very well since they were family. Many leaders like followers but they shy away from mentors. Followers often stroke our ego while mentors challenge our weakness. Every leader needs someone who knows us, our situation, our weakness, and our blindspots.

2. Jethro believed God (18:10). Jethro wasn’t just some old wise guy. Jethro obviously believed God, what God had done, and what God wanted to do through Moses. Every leader needs an older mentor in their lives who is ahead of them spiritually in order to lead them through what they themselves have already been through. Make sure your mentor knows Jesus, is growing in Jesus, and is currently serving Jesus with their life.

3. Jethro was honest about Moses’ blindspots (18:17-18). I love how Jethro didn’t hold back. He was straight up with Moses. He wasn’t afraid to hurt Moses’ feelings because his greatest fear was Moses not fulfilling God’s plan. Jethro saw the situation, exposed Moses’ blindspot, and showed Moses where no-change would lead him.

4. Jethro offered a solution (18:19-22). Jethro also wasn’t just a negative-nancy. After assessing the situation, Jethro used the wisdom God gave Him to offer a wise solution. Every leader needs leaders in their life who can think through situations and offer working solutions.

5. Jethro’s solution was for God’s glory (18:23). Jethro wasn’t in it for his own glory, credit, or name. Jethro loved God and loved Moses. He wanted to see Moses used by God greatly and God greatly glorified through his son-in-law.

What was Moses’ blindspot? It was bottle-necking. Moses had fallen into the trap of doing all the ministry all on his own. Moses wasn’t leading leaders, instead he was doing work. Leaders lead other people to lead, workers merely get work done.

This is a blind spot in my own life. I need to do a better job of unleashing my team of pastors, staff, and volunteers to do the work of the ministry. I am my own greatest limitation to ministry.

When I try to do everything myself, my ministry is limited. When I give ministry away to leaders, my ministry is limitless.

I appreciate leaders like Jethro in my life, and I need to be a leader like Jethro for others.