Moses’ “Who Am I” And Why Executive Project Sponsors Are Vital in Companies

And he said to his Lord: ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh”, the most powerful person in the world. Yes, who am I to take up that established brand in that industry? Who am I to enroll for that certification? And Who am I to meet that customer with our new product?

Good People, we do ask “Who am I” in many ways. The first time I was to speak before Bill Gates, I asked myself, “Who is Ndubuisi Ekekwe” to speak before the richest man in the world for 60 minutes?” Would they cut-off the microphone in the first three minutes because I was wasting his time which runs in $millions per hour. Thankfully, they did not!

Doubts, lack of self-confidence, and feeling unprepared are things which make us humans. And interestingly, solving that problem does not require new degrees, new courses or training; sometimes, it requires hearing from an uncommon “Voice”. For Moses, his Lord assured him that  “I AM WHO I AM”. In primary school, when my peers mocked me for having fairly big eyes, I asked my mother why they were doing that; she gave me an answer: “they’re jealous, your big eyes help you to see Mathematics better’. Fascinatingly, I had an answer, and that mockery stopped because I had an edge!

Understand that Moses is not a weak man: he saw a burning bush which was not consumed by the fire, and went towards it, when many of us could have run away. But meeting Pharoah on the specific task was more than a living burning bush. Yes, tasks and assignments are in categories.

Here, Moses needed a Project Sponsor and that sponsor must provide a validation for him to commit to the task. His Lord, the grand project sponsor, told him to tell his brethren that “I AM” has sent him!  And with Aaron, he went to Pharaoh and told him: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Let my people go”.

For great projects, Executive Project Sponsors are needed in companies: ‘A project sponsor is a senior management role that provides resources, support, and leadership to the project team and generally “owns” the project. This person also serves as a link between the project manager and other decision-making groups.’ With these sponsors, weakness turns into courage and unbounded inspiration to lead, and deliver results.

And that brings the lesson today: when you are tasked with huge projects, request for an executive project sponsor and once ratified, move with confidence. The same Moses who feared Pharoah later challenged him because he knew that as he pursued the project, the sponsor was behind him. Have a great Sunday!

Reference: Exodus 3 – 5

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