Leadership 101: Part 4
“So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their hearts.” Nehemiah 4:6
In 2003 our school district asked local residents to increase their taxes to avoid severe cuts. We lost by a 60% to 40% vote. As school superintendent, I recommended that we try again; however, this time the school board notified one-third of the teachers that they would be fired if the tax referendum failed. The voters approved the increase by 60% to 40%.
Guess who incurred the wrath of the teachers and the community – me! I experienced the same attacks Nehemiah faced so long ago. Like Nehemiah, I survived these assaults, but it wasn’t fun.
Context:
The rebuilding project was sailing along smoothly, when suddenly Nehemiah faced some bumps in the road. His enemies conspired to stir up trouble in order to stop the rebuilding effort. Nehemiah’s deft handling of this situation proved that he was a strong, effective leader.
Leadership Lessons:
A leader knows the enemy.
- Enemies always arise and multiply. There always is a leadership core that uses the same tactics.
| Fear | Ridicule | Intimidation | Open attacks |
| Mockery | Rumors | Secret plotting | Discouragement |
A leader prays persistently.
- Prayer is a consistent theme. At critical moments, Nehemiah prayed.
- He recognized that the real offense was against the Lord, not against him.
- His private prayer countered every public attack.
A leader recognizes barriers.
- Halfway is hard! It’s too late to turn back, and too far to see the end in sight.
- Nehemiah faced 2 distinct barriers – external threats and internal despair.
- It’s impossible to remain in crisis mode for an extended time period.
A leader rallies the troops.
| Fear | Don’t be afraid of them. |
| Focus | Remember the Lord who is great and awesome |
| Fight | Fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.1 |
A leader formulates strategy.
- While half the people worked, the other half guarded.
- The officers stood behind the workers to protect them.
- Everyone carried a weapon at all times.
- If the trumpet sounded, they were to rally there.
- They worked from dawn to dusk
- They stayed in Jerusalem at night.
- They maintained constant vigilance.
Prayer:
“Lord, Nehemiah was such an awesome leader! I sometimes feel so inadequate as a leader. I ask you to take me and use me despite my weaknesses. Amen.”
Endnotes:
1 Nehemiah 4:14
© 2013 Designed to Serve®
Dr. Steve Lake is a retired educator with over 30 years experience in the American public schools. He has served in a variety of position, including teacher, elementary school principal, junior high principal, Associate Superintendent, retired from public education as Superintendent of Schools in Lincolnwood, IL. He has his Bachelors, Masters and Doctor of Education degrees from Northern Illinois University. For the past 25 years Steve has attended and been a member of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington and Northfield, IL. At Willow Creek Steve has taught adult classes on spiritual gifts, life purpose, and spiritual disciplines. He has ministered overseas in Angola, Zambia, Honduras, Germany, and Russia. Steve is co-founder of Designed to Serve, a ministry that equips Christians to live out their unique God-given calling. Steve is married and has two adult children who are married.
