Page 31 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

Nehemiah cast his vision of a more desirable future, and now it was time to enlist the support of a larger vision
community. “We are not meant to go it alone. The New Testament’s descriptive imagery about the church
emphasizes interdependence as a vital ingredient in our corporate life. We are limbs in a body that function
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based on interrelated co-operation.” “The law of significance teaches us that one is too small a number to
achieve greatness.” 100 Nehemiah realized that nothing of significance was ever achieved by an individual acting
alone. Individuals may play the game, but it takes teams to win championships.

Are you going it alone in your area of responsibility, or are you building a team? The best way to see if you are
building a team in your area of responsibility is to turn around and see who you are mentoring to take your
place. Remember our last lesson. All of us are leaders. However, there are four levels of influence: modeling,
motivating, mentoring, and multiplying. Only the last two levels of influence allow us to turn around and see a
team being formed. Nehemiah realized it was now time to form a team, to make the dream work. John
Maxwell’s favorite leadership proverb is this: “He who thinks he leads but has no followers is only taking a
walk.” 101 The Good Book on Leadership writers say, “When leaders take others with them, they go places. One
test of leadership is to turn around and see if anyone is following you.” 102 “Leadership is not something you
pursue; leadership is something others give to you. No matter how smart, talented, and persuasive you are
naturally or by training, you are not the leader until the leading group says so… The follower holds the final
power to determine the leader.” 103

3. Recruiting colleagues (2:17)
17 So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned
down. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”

“One of the most challenging tasks any leader faces is being a change agent and leading people through tough
times.” 104 John Maxwell calls this leadership quality the Law of the Scoreboard, which says that any team can
make adjustments when it knows where it stands. However, the reaction that most teams take in times of crisis
is to say, “Let’s forget the whole thing.” A time of turbulence is a dangerous time, but its greatest danger is a
temptation to deny reality. So what is a leader to do? Define reality for the people, which is the leader's first
responsibility.

Because Nehemiah did not want to take the leadership walk alone, he began to form his leadership team.
Again, Nehemiah realized that “the vision community should be a part of the change process from the
beginning to the end. Its members must become personally prepared, understand, and clearly feel a sense of
urgency. They must agree that change is needed." 105 “When leaders fail to change themselves, the
organization does not change.” 106 Therefore, Nehemiah cast his vision for a more desirable future for
Jerusalem.

As we begin to cast our God-given vision of reality, we must remember that there are always early adapters
(20%), middle adapters (60%), and late adapters (20%). You must also realize that no matter what you do,
approximately around 7 to 14% of people will oppose you, no matter what you do or say. Andy Stanley is one of
the best vision casters I know in today's church world. Andy Stanley says this about vision casting." A compelling
reason will engage the heart. The vision calls us to imagine what could be. The reason behind what could move
us to believe that it should be. Once you cross this threshold, you are committed... You cannot effectively cast
your vision to anyone until you are convinced that it could be and that it should be." 107

• A compelling reason will engage the heart. You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and
its gates have been burned down.
• The vision calls us to imagine what could be. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall.
• The reason behind what could move us to believe that it should be. (See verses below)

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