Leadership Transition in Light of the Sin of the Spies

The Medrash famously spotlights Moshe's fault in effectuating and even causing the sin of the spies.  "And Hashem said to Moshe saying; send people for yourself." The Medrash hones in on the words, "for yourself," and comments, "You, Moshe needed proof of the goodness of the land, but I knew full well how good the land was." 

In Devarim as well as in the book of Bamidbar there are accounts of the spies. In Bamidbar, in Parshat Korach, which records the events as they unfold, the spies speak ill of the land and the people are caught up in the collective fear, congregating in their tents, badmouthing the land. In the book of Devarim the narrative is different; the spies speak well of the land, but the people, having closed their hearts, decide to besmirch the land. The Ramban comments that for fear of frontally confronting Moshe Rabbeinu, the spies, in a coup of sorts, sung the land's praise in front of Moshe, but then went behind his back to badmouth the land, fomenting fear, instilling rebellion. 

A critical issue in management and transparency seems to be at play here, something all the more palpable after the all-too recent events in Simchat Torah. The IDF, as reported in the press, instructed the most junior officer, and low-ranking soldier to make any suggestion for improvement that they could conceive of, however small to their higher ranking officer. In a crowdsourcing of sorts, the point was made that we need all channels of communication open. Some are saying Biden's dismal debate performance resulted from a lack of willingness or ability to hear out others with intimate knowledge of his foibles. On a Talmudic note, it says that when Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah became the Nassi, or head of the Jewish community, he added scores of benches to the beit midrash and on that day, all halachic debates were effectively adjudicated and resolved with the law set for generations to come.

Interestingly, there seems to be some linkage between openness to others, empowering them, and being able to lead. Right after Moshe relays the story of the spies in the Book of Devarim, he says, "And God also got angry at me because of you." More than any other biblical event, there is probably more debate, and more reasons given for God's refusal to allow Moshe Rabbeinu into Israel than any other event. One of the reasons given was that Moshe disparaged the Jewish people: "Listen you rebels!" It would seem that there is some linkage between the two, Moshe's leadership style not being one that empowered the unique and even fierce individualism that would be required in fostering, cultivating and nurturing the new land; when he needed to speak to the rock, he struck, meaning it was perhaps best that Joshua take over the helm, having learned Moshe's Torah, but being able, in Rashi's words to deduce and decipher the needs of each and every Jew, listening as a tool to effective leadership and vision, what was needed in the land more than strict adherence to the will of God.