Paradigm 17: Leading with competence (8/11/19)
Edmund Chan's first comment in this chapter is that "Many churches and organizations are over-managed and under-led"
So I ask: what is the difference between management and leadership?
I think management refers more to a process, whereas leadership has to do with how the process is led by an individual. Blindly following or executing a process is not leadership. There are personal qualities of a leader that make successful accomplishments and change possible. Managers try to maintain the status quo, whereas leaders aim to make things go better. Leaders have a personal concern for people.
He mentions 5 core skills of leadership:
Nehemiah 1 details how Nehemiah catches a vision: through the visit of a delegation from Jerusalem. He engages with them (v.1-3) and immediately feels a deep emotion within that lasts for days (v.4) - noteworthy because he has never even seen the city. His devotional life is seen in systematic, sustained prayer (v.4-11) and in spontaneous intercession (2:4). All of Nehemiah's actions in the book should be seen in the light of his spiritual focus as seen in this chapter.
In Nehemiah 2, Nehemiah shares his vision with the king: he is authentic despite the risk (v.2), reinforces his loyalty (v.3) and gains his sympathy ("the place/city of my father's graves" v.3, 5).
He states his goal (v.5), gives a timeline (v.6) and asks for official sanction for his plans for safe passage (v.7) and material resources for his detailed plans (v.8). He accepts escorting troops (v.9) but takes the time to find out the ground situation alone (v.11-16)
After this, he gathers his team (v.16b-17) and starts casting the vision. He gives them the objective (v.17) and his personal testimony (v.18) so that they respond (v.19).
There is opposition (2:10, 19), ridicule and being despised.
Nehemiah 3 details how different people worked on different parts of the wall, some groups with different degrees of willingness. There was coordination as well as individual responsibility.
Nehemiah 4 details the opposition Nehemiah and the people faced:
The leaders set examples (v.16b)
There was a dual role for the people: both building and defense (v.17, 21)
Nehemiah himself is on patrol, ready to rally the defense (v.18-19)
The people work hard - from dawn to dusk (v.21).
Nehemiah organizes a guard from the workforce (v.22) and he and his associates were examples of constant vigilance (v.23)
Nehemiah 5 details administrative problems that needed dealing with:
1. Famine and hunger, compounded by oppressive practices of some Jews (v.1-2)
2. Economic turmoil (v.3)
3. Social turmoil (v.4-5)
Nehemiah acts unilaterally against the elite of society and tells them that they were breaking the Mosaic law (v.7, c.f. Dt 23:19-20). He calls for a large gathering (v.7b) engaging popular dissent and rebukes them for their behaviour (v.8-9). He also mentions his own personal example of generosity to the poor and instructs them to be generous. (v.11), requiring compliance with a religious oath (v.12) and a personal curse (v.13)
Nehemiah details the fact that he did not use his position for luxurious self-gain or indulgence (v.14-15). He sought no material gain(v.16) and was generous at his own expense (v.18).
In Nehemiah 6 we learn of personal threats to Nehemiah:
The accomplishment of the task is an occasion for enemies to be dismayed and fearful (v.16a) because they could see the hand of God helping the people (v.16b) - it was a work that human strength and resources could not accomplish.
Even in success there are hints of individual power and connections of evildoers that kept working both to promote themselves and discourage Nehemiah (v.17-19)
So, to revise:
So I ask: what is the difference between management and leadership?
I think management refers more to a process, whereas leadership has to do with how the process is led by an individual. Blindly following or executing a process is not leadership. There are personal qualities of a leader that make successful accomplishments and change possible. Managers try to maintain the status quo, whereas leaders aim to make things go better. Leaders have a personal concern for people.
He mentions 5 core skills of leadership:
- Having a vision to work forward to for the future, in capturing (grasping), casting (communicating), concretizing (taking practical steps) and commissioning (helping followers own the vision for themselves.
- Ability to communicate with and mentor different people in a team in a way that makes the leader accessible.
- Allowing team members creativity in solving problems instead of micromanaging: to define the problem, distinguish between symptoms and the root issues, explore all possible solutions, find the best course of action, then to do it and evaluate what has been done.
- Being able to manage the change necessary to making meaningful accomplishments. To do this, we need a strategic work plan, to carry out pivotal events to cause change, think of obstacles, solve problems and evaluate our effectiveness.
- Being credible: the Christian leader has a solid personal devotional life, manages his/her family well and is aware of one's giftings.
Nehemiah 1 details how Nehemiah catches a vision: through the visit of a delegation from Jerusalem. He engages with them (v.1-3) and immediately feels a deep emotion within that lasts for days (v.4) - noteworthy because he has never even seen the city. His devotional life is seen in systematic, sustained prayer (v.4-11) and in spontaneous intercession (2:4). All of Nehemiah's actions in the book should be seen in the light of his spiritual focus as seen in this chapter.
In Nehemiah 2, Nehemiah shares his vision with the king: he is authentic despite the risk (v.2), reinforces his loyalty (v.3) and gains his sympathy ("the place/city of my father's graves" v.3, 5).
He states his goal (v.5), gives a timeline (v.6) and asks for official sanction for his plans for safe passage (v.7) and material resources for his detailed plans (v.8). He accepts escorting troops (v.9) but takes the time to find out the ground situation alone (v.11-16)
After this, he gathers his team (v.16b-17) and starts casting the vision. He gives them the objective (v.17) and his personal testimony (v.18) so that they respond (v.19).
There is opposition (2:10, 19), ridicule and being despised.
Nehemiah 3 details how different people worked on different parts of the wall, some groups with different degrees of willingness. There was coordination as well as individual responsibility.
Nehemiah 4 details the opposition Nehemiah and the people faced:
- First, there was concern cloaked by ridicule of their abilities (v.2b), the magnitude of the work needed (v.2c) and of the quality of the work they had done (v. 3). Nehemiah responds in fervent prayer for punishment for his enemies.
- Secondly, there was the threat of physical violence (v.8). Nehemiah and the people pray again and did something practical - setting a guard day and night (v.9).
- Thirdly there was discouragement from the people themselves (v.10), their enemies (v.11) and the surrounding people (v.12). Nehemiah responds by setting a guard over the most vulnerable areas (v.13) and encourages the people personally (v.14) to remember their great God and their people (v.14b).
The leaders set examples (v.16b)
There was a dual role for the people: both building and defense (v.17, 21)
Nehemiah himself is on patrol, ready to rally the defense (v.18-19)
The people work hard - from dawn to dusk (v.21).
Nehemiah organizes a guard from the workforce (v.22) and he and his associates were examples of constant vigilance (v.23)
Nehemiah 5 details administrative problems that needed dealing with:
1. Famine and hunger, compounded by oppressive practices of some Jews (v.1-2)
2. Economic turmoil (v.3)
3. Social turmoil (v.4-5)
Nehemiah acts unilaterally against the elite of society and tells them that they were breaking the Mosaic law (v.7, c.f. Dt 23:19-20). He calls for a large gathering (v.7b) engaging popular dissent and rebukes them for their behaviour (v.8-9). He also mentions his own personal example of generosity to the poor and instructs them to be generous. (v.11), requiring compliance with a religious oath (v.12) and a personal curse (v.13)
Nehemiah details the fact that he did not use his position for luxurious self-gain or indulgence (v.14-15). He sought no material gain(v.16) and was generous at his own expense (v.18).
In Nehemiah 6 we learn of personal threats to Nehemiah:
- Repeated invitations to a dangerous meeting (v.2) that he rejects with a statement of his focus ("I am doing a great work and I cannot come down" v.3).\
- A slanderous accusation of kingly ambition (v.5-7) that he deals with firm rejection and turning to the Lord for strength (v.8-9)
- A false prophet who proposes a seemingly religious solution for safety (v.10). He responds by rejecting cowardice and affirming that he had no place in the temple (v.11). Nehemiah understood that fear would be sinful and would be an opportunity for God's enemies to taunt him (v.13)
The accomplishment of the task is an occasion for enemies to be dismayed and fearful (v.16a) because they could see the hand of God helping the people (v.16b) - it was a work that human strength and resources could not accomplish.
Even in success there are hints of individual power and connections of evildoers that kept working both to promote themselves and discourage Nehemiah (v.17-19)
So, to revise:
- Nehemiah's vision was the rebuilding of the wall of Jeusalem and the restoration of the dignity of the city. He was foresighted in setting out the steps to fulfill it and successfully motivated others to accomplish it.
- He dealt with different groups and levels of people and led by example.
- He allowed different groups of people to do different, complementary tasks.
- He managed external threats, internal issues and personal dangers.
- His personal seeking of God and looking to God for reward as well as his refusal to take advantage of his privileged position for personal gain was inspiring.
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