Biblical principles of leadership

Nehemiah’s Ten Steps 
 (Taken from the first 6 chapters of Nehemiah.)

1.    Get all the facts from trusted sources (Nehemiah 1).
2.    Pray about the situation, and ask God’s guidance for direction. (Ibid)
3.    Talk to the person who had the most authority to help with resources etc. (Ibid)
4.    When asked “What do you want of me?” First pray for God to put the words in your mouth (Neh 2:4).

a.    Have a specific goal (Neh. 2:5)
b.    Set a time frame for completion (Neh. 2:6).
c.    Ask for all documented authority to do the task, as well as funding (Neh. 2:7).
d.    Make sure all the resources are gathered (Neh. 2:9)

5.    Examine the situation for yourself (Neh. 2:12-16). Make sure you are not influenced by wagging tongues.
6.    Gather the team and lay out the plan of action (Neh. 2:17-18).
7.    Disregard distractions (Neh. 2:19-20).
8.    Oversee the work, making sure each task is manageable for the person(s) working it; as well as the right person for the right task (Neh. 3).
9.    Guard against distractions; and do not be diverted from the task at hand. Ask God to protect the work being done, and then set forth a strategy to protect the work being done (Neh. 4).
10.    Do not disregard unrest in the ranks. Listen to the problems and resolve them with fair-mindedness and from biblical principles (Neh. 5).

Following these guidelines should help the project run smoothly and finish early. The walls of Jerusalem were built in 52 days: An amazing feat in so short a time.

Walt Wiley of Winning With Encouragement, Inc. stated, “Watching how people treat, relate to and react to people around them is a great way to determine the kind of person they are, especially if they are leaders of people” (The Look of the Leader, 1997, p. 5)

God gives each of us a motivational spiritual gift. We are motivated towards a certain type of ministry (Romans 12). This gift energizes us like the Energizer Bunny. God is providing for His ministry just as He had the Children of Israel ask for all kinds of costly things from the Egyptians who freely and generously gave. The Tabernacle was built from this bounty. The same principle is how our motivations are fueled for God’s work. Consider Moses. He led the People out of Egypt, but God had to just about whip him to do it. Moses was overwhelmed by the task. Only because of God’s guidance and direction could Moses lead. Moses burnout came only when he was trying to be judge of all the people. His father-in-law, Jethro, pointed out that it was too much for him and he should delegate some elders to help (Exodus 18:1-9). A leader cannot do all the jobs all the time. God’s ministry for Moses was energized for a specific ministry purpose, not to judge over every minor squabble, but to be the leader of the nation. When Moses understood that, his burnout went away (Fortune & Fortune, 1990).

Certainly, Jesus showed the disciples the critical success factor of rest when He “said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat” (Mark 6:31). Always anticipate that God will give you the energy to do the tasks He sets for you to do, but remember to get plenty of rest and eat the right foods.