Anyone who studies closely and critically the life and work of Nehemiah would come to a similar conviction and conclusion that he was an effective/successful leader. The question then arises, "What made him a successful leader?" "What were some of the contributing factors?" We can highlight a few:  

Nehemiah was Directed by a Clear Vision.  The life of a leader is often fuelled by a vision. It was a clear vision which motivated him to persist in good times and difficult times and to successfully complete rebuilding the walls.  What is vision?

Vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight (Anonymous)

Vision is a clear conception of something that is not yet a reality, but which can exist. It is a strong image of a preferable future...Vision is always future focussed...Vision doesn't try to recapture the good old days; rather it desires to create days  that have not existed.^[1]

Vision means to see something coming into view as if it were already there.^[2]

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Nehemiah's vision to rebuild the city walls began with a "holy discontent" (to borrow Bill Hybels' phrase). A holy discontent began with spiritual frustration that saw something needed to be done and he could not stand it any longer. The motivation for doing so was for  the good of the people and for the glory of God. Bill Hybels reminds us that "...you will never make a meaningful contribution as when you operated form the energy cannot of holy discontent". ^[3]   

The source of his vision came from God. "I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem" (2:9). All successful leaders are directed by a clear vision of what they are supposed to do (e.g. Moses, Joshua, Solomon, David and others). With a clear vision, they were able to focus on the task at hand and not be distracted. They will always give their very best to the task at hand. Leaders with a vision will not settle for compromise, indecisiveness, distraction nor trapped by past thinking. For a vision to become a reality, action must be taken.   

Are you in earnest?

Seize this very minute;

What you can, or dream you can, begin it;

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it;

Only engage and then the mind grows heated;

Begin and then the work will be completed (Goethe) 

Optimism Characterised His Life and Ministry. He saw obstacles as opportunities and stumbling blocks as stepping stones. I once saw a poster in a mall that read, "Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the stars  and the other one sees the mud.” The former is an optimist while the latter is a pessimist.

Optimistic leaders expect the best. They usually see opposition, difficulties, and failures as temporary setbacks. They also know that when the going gets tough, it’s time to get tougher. Optimism is needed in every field - be it a delivery boy, waiter, butcher, baker or  a janitor. It is  a matter of perspective - how leaders choose to see things. Optimism creates positive moods which in turn creates good morale in the ministry.

On the other hand, pessimists see only the worst and expect the worst even in the positive. Pessimism creates depression and negativity that nothing can be done. In a word, "the optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!” (Anonymous). 

An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him. He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, a pessimist by nature, and invited him to hunt with him and his new dog. As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. they fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet. This continued all day long; each time a duck fell, the dog walked across the surface of the water to retrieve it. The pessimist watched carefully, saw everything, but did not say a single word. On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, "Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?" "I sure did," responded the pessimist. "Your dog can't swim!"

A Christian leader who wants to be successful in his or her leadership should be positive and optimistic because of 1) the God he/she serves; 2) the   Scripture and 3) the power of prayer.

Nehemiah Practised Strategic Timing in his Relationship and Work. Nehemiah waited for the right time or "strategic timing" to see the king. He also waited for the king to broach the subject. The use of "strategic timing" is important in any significant accomplishment. As the Bible reminds us " there is a time for everything" (cf. Eccl 3:1-8). Time is a precious commodity and should not be squandered away. Leaders should learn how to use time strategically or to use Paul's words "redeeming the time because the days are evil" (Eph 5:16). Time can be lost. Once gone, it cannot be retrieved.

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Time is a God- given stewardship for which we must render an account. Our use of it will determine our contribution to our generation. The difference between one person and another lies largely in the use of time (Oswald Sanders 1991:108).  

Nehemiah's understanding of strategic timing enabled him to prioritise (cf. Neh 6:3). All of us have the same amount of time. It is how we use it - a matter of priority. Are we engrossed in the secondary that we have no time for the primary things? "Sacrifice the pearl of inferior value for the pearl of transcendent worth" (Oswald Sanders).

The Bank Account of Life

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400.

It carries over no balance from day to day.

Every “evening” deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.

What would you do?

Draw out every cent, of course!!!!

Each of us has such a “bank”.  It’s name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.

Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.

It carries over no balance.

It allows no overdraft

Each day it opens a new account for you.

Each night it burns the remains of the day.

If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours

There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow.”

You must live in the present on today’s deposits

Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success!

The clock is running.

Make the most of today (Anonymous).