Leadership Principles From Nehemiah – 3

Leaders Conduct Research (Nehemiah 2:12).

A missile without a guidance system is a dangerous thing—all power and no direction. In the same way, leaders who don’t know where they are going can wreak havoc. That’s why it pays for people in leadership positions to gather the right kind of information, so that they can make wise choices about which path to pursue.

Before he launched his plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah conducted careful research about the task at hand. He quietly walked around the city by night, without fanfare, surveying the extent of the problem and perhaps formulating some tentative strategies (Nehemiah 2:11–15). Nehemiah’s low profile was especially appropriate given that he was a new member of the community. As a representative of the king, he could have come in with trumpets blaring and declared what his expectations were. Instead, he kept his thoughts to himself and avoided attracting attention until he had formulated a plan.

Courtesy of Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.