How to Use the Power of the Moses Speaking Leadership Strategy

How to Use the Power of the Moses Speaking Leadership Strategy

When my leadership development  friends and colleagues from iWork4Him asked to interview me about my views on retirement, my instinctive response was quick and honest:

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not your person!”

Jim sounded surprised. “Why do you say that?”

I replied, “Because I don’t believe retirement is Biblical. Your paycheck ends, but your purpose never does.”

Without missing a beat, he came back with a challenge that stopped me in my tracks:

“And that’s the very reason we want to interview you, Danita.”

ChatGPT

As soon as I agree, I did what I thought any modern thinker and speaker should do—I dove into research with ChatGPT.

Together, Chat and I dug into the history of retirement, the Industrial Revolution, and the creation of Social Security. I started brainstorming questions:

• What conventional wisdom about retirement do I reject?
• What would change for people if they knew THIS?
• What do I want to say to my younger self about this season of life?
• What makes me angry about the consequences of traditional retirement?

Hour after hour, we worked. I loved the process. By the time we were finished, I had a tidy outline with clever, catchy, memorable lines.

I thought I was ready.

Complication

Then I remembered a conversation from a few years back with an extraordinary speaker who had captivated an audience. I’d asked him to meet with me, hoping he could help sharpen my own speaking skills.

After listening carefully, he said: “I only have one piece of advice. Follow the Moses Speaking Strategy.”

I perked up. “I’ve never heard of that. What is it?”

“It’s simple,” he said. “Moses only spoke what the Lord told him to speak. If you want to be effective, speak only what God has spoken to you.”

His words came flooding back as I sat there with my slick outline. Had I been listening to ChatGPT…or to the Holy Spirit?

Climax

I closed my laptop. Hours and hours of clever phrasing – gone.

Instead, I went back to Jim’s interview questions and answered them from my heart. I pulled out my journals. I asked God:

1. What on my to-do list is on my agenda, not yours. And what projects and ideas should be saturated with prayer?
2. Where have I stopped dreaming? What’s on my “impossible list” that I need to trust You with?
3. And what about AI? My heart is heavy for my grandchildren. No policy can replace revival. I want them to know the living God who is still at work today. What are some of my next steps?

This time, the words came from a different place. My heart. Not surprisingly, the content was completely different!  My ChatGPT preparation came from my head….while the Moses Speaking Strategy invited me to listen to my heart.

Conclusion

When Jim, Martha, and I sat down for the interview, the conversation was rich. They have their own sticky phrases and bold ideas.

I may not have delivered the neat, polished points ChatGPT helped me create.

But I did the Moses Speaking Strategy. I spoke the words God has been teaching me—and sometimes, that is enough.

To check out more of my views on Retirement, check out these links:

Plus, you can also:

• read the transcript of the interview below,
• scan top quotes from the actual interview (according to ChatGPT).
• listen to the podcast here,
• read my pre-interview planning notes,
• see list of “What if….” questions.

Here are the previous articles in this series:

Retirement is not Part of my Leadership Strategy

Purposeful Leadership in the Age of AI: Even if You are Over 65 (Podcast and Video)

Copyright, Danita Bye 2025