An organization without capable leadership is like a ship without a rudder. It drifts along with the wind, headed to nowhere and destined for disaster. The same could be said about a nation, a family, and yes, even a congregation of God’s people. In time past Western Culture was led by figures like Churchill, Thatcher, Washington, and Lincoln. But tenacity, courage, and vision like theirs is difficult to find in the halls of government now, and where have we arrived? To a welfare society of chaos and weakness. We once championed the strong leadership of hardworking and present fathers in the home, but such thinking became culturally anathema some time ago, and what has happened to the home and society because of it? The last several decades have witnessed too many congregations install unqualified and incapable men into positions of leadership; men without vision, wisdom, or courage. Such congregations are not thriving but struggling for survival, and many have lost the battle and no longer exist. It is well past time for a renaissance of strong leadership in our nation, in our homes, and in our churches.
How is such a revival to take place? How are God’s people to renew their passion for following and developing great leaders? As in all things, we must turn to God. The Bible is the greatest leadership manual in the world. It has something to say about the qualifications, character, and wisdom that leadership must possess. It also illustrates those characteristics through the lives of great leaders of the past. One of whom is Nehemiah, the wall-builder.
In 586 BC the Babylonians finally destroyed Jerusalem and took its inhabitants into captivity. In 538 BC the Persian king Cyrus released the Jews to return home. And, in 445 BC, Nehemiah began working to rebuild the walls around the city. His resume is quite impressive. He was a cupbearer, general contractor, and a governor. He had experience in project planning and management, communication, conflict resolution, problem solving, and long term planning. Nehemiah exemplifies the best of leadership. He reminds us that…
A good leader is one who is led (Neh. 1:6; 11; 2:20; 5:15). Nehemiah may have been cupbearer to the king, but he was first a servant of God and ultimately accountable to Him. First Corinthians 11:3 says, “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” That passage teaches us that no one is without a superior, save the Father. A school principal answers to the school board. An employee answers to his employer. The President answers to the Constitution and to the people. Aristotle said, “He who is to be a good ruler must first have been ruled.” That may be true but perhaps a better way to express it is “He who is to be a good ruler must first BE ruled.” A good leader is, himself, led by the God of Heaven. He submits himself to the Father’s Will, serves Him, and allows Him to be the ruler of his life.
A good leader recognizes his own shortcomings (Neh. 2:2). Nehemiah revealed his own vulnerability by speaking of his fear! He did not pretend to be flawless in some attempt to show his superiority over the people he led. A good leader does not allow his position to corrupt him. He does not develop a better-than-you mentality or pretend as if everyone is the problem but him. He recognizes he is human, and he makes mistakes, and sometimes he’s just flat wrong. He’s not prideful, but humble. Consider also David in Psalm 51:3-4 and Acts 13:22.
A good leader identifies with the need (Neh. 1:4, 7-8). Note the “I” and the “we” in 1:4, 7-8. Nehemiah likely had not been born when Jerusalem was destroyed. If he was, he would have been very young. He had nothing to do with the sins that led Jerusalem to Babylon and yet he associated himself with the problem. A leader who does not learn to identify and associate himself with the need is like a father who is so busy working to provide a living for his family, he is blind to what they really need! Leaders don’t say “It’s their problem!,” “Too bad for them!,” or “I hope they get it right!.” They say, “Your problem is my problem, now let’s fix it.”
A good leader has vision (Neh. 2). Vision is a defining characteristic of leadership. It is what distinguishes a leader from merely a manager. Others can have compassion, relate to people, and see their needs but they have no ability to chart a course in order to meet them. Leaders do! Note that Nehemiah did not only see what WAS but what COULD BE. He prayed and wept but he didn’t stay on his knees. In the 4 months that passed between Nehemiah 1 and 2 Nehemiah was busy working on a plan (Neh. 2:5). He set a time (2:6), secured communication (2:7-8), evaluated (2:11), and educated (2:17).
A good leader has foresight (Neh. 7). Leaders have one eye on the present and the other in the future! The walls were completed but Nehemiah knew that the new city would need to be defended and populated. So he placed a guard (7:1,3), emphasized spiritual priorities (7:1, 61-65), emphasized the development of future leaders (7:2), planned for the future (7:4-5; 11:1ff), developed talent for the future (7:6-60), and worked to fund it through generosity (7:66-73).
How desperately we need more leaders like Nehemiah! Leaders with integrity, wisdom, vision, and foresight! So much more could be said about his leadership but an emphasis on developing these characteristics alone would bring about a world of good in the church, the home, and the nation. In this new year, let us renew our passion for developing and perfecting leaders like Nehemiah!