Please hit "WEBCASTS"
Nehemiah Was a Team-Player Who Empowered the People. He recognised that people were important and were appreciable assets. Without their cooperation, city walls could not and would not be built. Hence, he valued them and enlisted their help - sometimes outside the family of God (cf. 2:1-9). He mobilized and motivated them - "Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and suffer derision no more... and they set about their work vigorously and to good purpose " (2:17, 18). In the rebuilding of the city walls we see a good picture of teamwork under the leadership of Nehemiah. He believed in team work because team works!
He understood the power of "we". Observe the progression - "so, I prayed" ( 2:4), "so I came to Jerusalem" (11), "So they strengthened their hands for good work" (18), see Nehemiah chapter 3 and the recurring phrase "next to/ next to them", "so we built the wall" (4:6), "so we prayed to our God, and posted a guard against them day and night" (4:9), "so we labored" (21) and "so the wall was finished" (6:15). He did the praying, surveying and planning but at the end, it was "we" who built the wall. He gave credit to all. As it has been commonly pointed out that a leader can get things done if he or she does not care who gets the credit. There is no "I" in the word "Teamwork".
There is power in teamwork. The word TEAM is an acronym for "together everyone achieves more". Teamwork involves "working together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results" (Andrew Carnegie). It recognises that "alone we can do so little; together we can do so much" (Helen Keller) and "many hands make light work" (John Heywood). To put it in another way, teamwork means "coming together, sharing together, working together, succeeding together." There is power in the word "we" because "none of us is as smart as all of us" (Ken Blanchard).
The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say “I”. And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say “I”. They don’t think “I”. They think “we”; they think “team”. They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but “we” get the credit …This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the work done (Peter Drucker).
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has (Margaret Meade).
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee (John Donne).
Nehemiah upon the completion of the city walls had to return to Persia (his 4 months of leave were up). He understood the principle of delegation and empowerment. "I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. I said to them, “Do not leave the gates open during the hottest part of the day'. And even while the gatekeepers are on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards, everyone on a regular watch. Some will serve at sentry posts and some in front of their own homes.” (7:2-3). He chose them because they were trustworthy and God fearing - being before doing, character before charisma. By delegating, he lessened his burden and gave others a chance to develop their leadership potentials.
Nehemiah Understood the Power of Focus. The rebuilding project was almost completed. The walls were completed but the gates had not been put in place. When his detractors (aka coalition forces) realized this, their almost final desperate attempt was to send a letter to Nehemiah accusing him of sedition against the Persian empire. Instead of responding in person to their invitation for a dialogue (most probably he sensed it was a ploy to murder him by Shemaiah), Nehemiah denied it and refused to go and be side-tracked. Instead, he chose to be focussed. He replied, “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” (6:3).[1] Instead of getting discouraged, Scripture informs us that he decided to "continue the work with even greater determination" (6:9). He also prayed to God for strength to continue on his work and for divine vindication.[2]
Nehemiah Exercised "Courageous" Leadership Instead of "Status Quo" Leadership. He was willing to risk his life for the sake of the community. It is a known fact that ancient monarchs from the Ancient near Eastern world were by nature whimsical. Some of the important decisions made were based on their temperament at that time. Hence, any inappropriate or ill-timed words spoken could cause the death of that person. Nehemiah took the risk to tell the king about the ruined walls in Jerusalem.
The three leading opponents of Nehemiah were Sanballat the Horonite (from the city of Horonaim, a city of Moab mentioned in Isa 15:5 and Jer 48:2, 5, 34). Sanballat was related by marriage to the son of Eliashib, the high priest at the time of the annulment of the mixed marriages forbidden by the Law (Neh 13:28). The other two were Tobiah, the Ammonite slave (Neh 4:1), and Geshem the Arabian (Neh 6:1). Nehemiah faced the onslaught of opposition courageously - their insults (2:19; 4:23), innuendos (2:19), intimidation (6:1-9) and concealed death threat (6). In spite of repeated rumour mongering coming from the coalition forces of Sanballat, Gesham and Tobiah and being accused of treason of rebelling against the king by Sanballat, [3] he continued to persevere in his work and resorted to prayer (cf. 6:3, 9).
The opposition came not because he did the wrong thing but because he did the right thing! They became jealous of him. In today's world, this green eye monster is active, alive and kicking. So easy for leaders to fall into this trap and then give reasons that work done by others that we do not agree need to be opposed! "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? (Jer 17:9).
He showed courage when he confronted the profiteers and in meeting crises (5:6-13). He became involved in the problems of those working on the city walls and working out a satisfactory solution in chapter 5.
When he returned to Jerusalem after a brief visit to Persia, he discovered that some Jews were not tithing (13:10-12), some were not keeping the Sabbath (13:22) and some had married unbelievers (13:29-31). He did the right thing by confronting them.
There is a desperate need for courageous leaders to lead in business, church and politics.
Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities, because it is the quality which guarantees all others (Sir Winston Churchill).
Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long hours of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in the event of success (Advertisement placed in The Times Newspaper, 1913 by Ernest Shackleton for men to join his 1915 Antarctic expedition).
What are some of the characteristics of a courageous leader? They
Finish what they've started.[4]
[1] Cf.
[2] When a leader is falsely or wrongly accused, the best way of handling is to go to God in prayer. In his own time, he will vindicate.
[3] Note that both Sanballat and Nehemiah are equivalent in terms of positional authority. They are both governors appointed by the administration in a small province in the Persian empire.
[4] Adapted from Johnson T. K. Lim, "Characteristics of Courageous Leadership," in Johnson T.K. Lim (ed), Christian Leadership Matters ( Singapore : Word N Works, 2011), 173-174.