Nehemiah’s Leadership Playbook: Mobilization (2)

Mobilization: A Sense of Collectiveness

Then I said to them, “…Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach…” So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. – Nehemiah 2:17-18

Another sub-lesson we learn from Nehemiah in his mobilizing acts as a leader was the sense of belongingness and collective he fostered while rallying the people to work. He directly invited them as partners in progress in the rebuilding project he was to commence by saying, “Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach” [Nehemiah 2:17].

His use of the words “let us” and “we” created a sense of collectiveness in the mind of his audience. It helped them to see the work to be done from a collective perspective, instead of a personal agenda, for their own collective good. Therefore, no matter how long it was going to take and what it was going to cost them in terms of time, efforts and other resources, the people were willing to put in the shift to get the work done as it was for all of them and not for one or some individuals alone.

Many leaders miss this important lesson by thinking about public projects as their own agenda, a gift they are using to bless the people they are leading and not something that rightly belongs to them, which the community need to play a part in creating. This me-to-them approach to leadership is also one of the reasons many leaders fail or struggle to make an impact, as instead of working with the people as collaborators, they rather see themselves as a special gift or some sort of messiah with a magic wand to solve the people’s problems.

No one likes to be patronized, and this condescending attitude usually puts off people who only then just tolerate the haughty leader either because they have to or just to amuse themselves. A good leader ascribes intelligence to his followers.

Nehemiah appeared to have mastered these subtleties of leadership quite well and that was why he had such a smooth ride engaging, mobilizing and working with his people. If you desire to have similar impact, you need to learn from his example.

To be continued…

You Will Succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

• Nehemiah’s Leadership Playbook: Mobilization (1)
• Heaven and Hell
• God Teaches Me Through My Daughter with Down Syndrome