Rabbi Focuses CEOs on Prophet Margin

By SUE FOX

Oct. 18, 1999 12 AM PT

When Moses returned from Mt. Sinai clutching stone tablets inscribed with divine law--only to find his people worshiping false gods--he faced a management dilemma that would vex any modern chief executive.

So goes the teaching of Rabbi David Baron, author of a new book that weds the parables of ancient Israel with the challenges of corporate America. “Moses,” in the words of Baron, “is the greatest manager of all time.”

Holding both a yarmulke and a cell phone in one hand as he gestured emphatically with the other, the rabbi visited Kol Tikvah Synagogue in Woodland Hills on Sunday, sharing with about a dozen listeners the lessons that leaders of all stripes can glean from Moses.

Consider the story of the burning bush, lesson 31 in the rabbi’s book, “Moses on Management.” Baron said Moses left the beaten path to check out a blazing bush that was not being consumed by fire.

That was the moment God chose to speak to the curious shepherd, assigning him the task of freeing the Hebrew slaves from Egypt.

“You have to recognize things that are part of your destiny,” said Baron, the founder of Temple Shalom for the Arts in Beverly Hills. Other chapters in his book explain Mosaic tips such as “Bring Your Staff Out of the Slave Mentality,” “Use Exile to Reinvent Yourself” and “Don’t Compromise with Tyranny.”

Moses did the right thing when he came down from Mt. Sinai, the rabbi said. When an angry God offered to destroy the idol worshipers and start over, Moses said no, Baron reminded his audience.

“He took the position of saying, very clearly and unequivocally: ‘I am part of the people and they are part of me,’ ” he said. “In a corporate setting, in the business or nonprofit world, a leader has to step forward and say, ‘No, I can’t allow something really destructive to happen.’ ”

After the lecture, the rabbi signed a few books at a table stationed in the rear of the synagogue. But there were a few skeptics in the audience, including one woman who doubted a meek individual such as Moses--a reluctant prophet who had a speech impediment--would be tapped to lead in today’s rough-and-tumble corporate culture.

“Do you really think, in the business world, a stutterer would be given a leadership position?” Gilda Brehm, a Tarzana resident, asked Baron. Sure, the rabbi responded, just look at Barbara Walters.

On a more serious note, Baron said he wrote his tome on management as a way of reaching out to businesspeople.

“A lot of people tend to compartmentalize their business life and their religious life,” he said. “This is a way to bridge the gap.”