Nehemiah’s Leadership Playbook: Burden

Burden for the People

…It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. – Nehemiah 1:1-4

The first principle of leadership from Nehemiah’s playbook is burden for the people and the land of origin. From the reference passage, we can see that the spontaneous reaction of Nehemiah when he was told about the depravity of his compatriots who were left in Jerusalem and the decrepit state of the city was to break down in tears and mourning.

Now, Hezekiah was in a very good place as he was an official of the most powerful king in the world, he was cupbearer to Artaxerxes the king of the kingdom of Persia, at this time. He was also far away from Jerusalem and was living in comfort where he was. So, he did not have to be so bothered about what was happening in his native land. However, because he had the heart of a leader, he was very much affected by the sad news he heard about the suffering of his countrymen and the kind of squalor they were living in.

It takes someone who is genuinely interested in people to be a quality leader. A leader is best known not by the office they occupy or the title they are called but by the state of their heart toward the people. The best of leaders is genuinely interested in serving the people, in improving their welfare and helping them to fulfill their potential.

Even when they are far away geographically or removed from the affairs of governance, a genuine leader does not need to be physically present to have the interest of his people at heart or work for their benefit. Also, no matter the comfort she may enjoy herself, a true leader will always carry the burden of her people by feeling their pains and sharing their joy or anguish. If the above sounds like you, perhaps you are being called to leadership and you will do well to learn from Nehemiah.

To be continued…

You Will Succeed in Jesus Name!

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