Paradigm 18: Leading with traction (29/11/19)

Edmund Chan says here that "leadership is a process, not an event". Failure to understand due process is a reason for ineffective leadership - leadership without traction (= pulling ability). He gives 7 processes in visionary leadership:

1. Leadership by rhetoric - communicating the vision.

2. Leadership by equipping - telling followers not only what to do, but why and how it can be done.

3. Leadership by example - followers need to see vision being modeled by their leaders. The latter must lead by example, not by exhortation.

4. Leadership by mobilization. We must lead people to change - refusing to settle for agreement, but moving on to involvement and resonance.

5. Leadership by infrastructuring. This is the difficult task of decentralizing authority into smaller groups and assigning responsibility to their leaders to get everyone involved.

6. Leadership by encouragement. We point people to God, who is great, and who acts on our behalf.

7. Leadership by empowerment. We recruit, train, release and empower other leaders into co-leading the ministry. This brings the process a full circle.

I think it is good again to look at Nehemiah 1-6 to see how this great leader did or did not follow these processes.

With respect to King Artaxerxes, we see Nehemiah communicating his vision in 2:3, telling the king how the vision might be accomplished (2:4-9) and mentioning his personal involvement (setting an example) in the proposed plan. Points 4-7 are not really relevant here.

With respect to the people he is leading, Nehemiah 

1. Communicates the vision in 2:17

2. Equips them with a plan and delegates responsibility to different parties in Chapter 3

There is certainly a measure of involvement, but hints that there is passive (2:5b) as well as active opposition (from Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, e.g. 4:11) The former seems to be because of a feeling of entitlement and pride from the ruling class. As we saw in the previous study, the people at work also became discouraged (4:10). Their comments are three-fold: "We are tired!", "There is too much work!" and "We need help!". Bystanders with a stake in the work became fearful and repeatedly discouraged the workers (4:12). The p

We see Nehemiah's responses in reorganizing work processes to cover both building and defense (4:13, 16-18, 22-23), making the people work harder (4:21) and exhorting them with rhetoric (4:13b) and encouraging with good theology (4:13a, 20). Nehemiah leads by example - from the front (4:15, 23)

In Chapter 5 we see the social and political consequences of the work on the wall, There is a cost to surrounding people when the project is in progress. Nehemiah rebukes and exhorts the ruling/rich class to do the right thing.He states the example that he gives in not profiting from his position as governor (5:14-18)

I'm going to argue that there is no sign of resonance amongst Nehemiah's fellow leaders. It also appears that the work on the wall was not exactly the effort of a team of leaders. The only co-leader we read of is Hanani (1:2, 7:2) and Nehemiah does not exactly have the highest praise for him.The comment can almost be interpreted as "he was better than average!"

My conclusions

Opposition can occur even in God's appointed tasks, and this opposition can be great and dangerous. 

Aspects of an ideal leadership process can be impossible. There may never be resonance. And there may never be people to empower.

Even when the task before us is accomplished, there can be persistent opposition and blocs of influence that can rob us of a feeling of accomplishment and joy (6:16-19)

Leadership is a never-ending task. After the building of the wall and the revival of Chapter 8-10 comes the dedication of the wall (12:27-43 and organization of temple rites (23:44-47). The moment Nehemiah leaves town, everything goes to pieces (Chapter 13).

I never previously understood Nehemiah's repeated requests for God to "remember" him (5:19, 6:14, 13:14, 13:22, 13:21). These only make sense not as the cry of an insecure individual, but as the cry of a leader who did the best he could with God's call on his life, and who knew that apart from God,  it might be that no one else would remember him. This is both warning and encouragement for all of us who lead!