Issue #83, June 6, 2012
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. (Nehemiah 2:16-18)
In the last issue we began to examine how Nehemiah communicated the vision for building the wall. He chose the right time, identified the need and committed himself. Now, let’s look at what more is required of servant leaders as they communicate the vision.
Call people to commitment.
After stating the need and identifying himself with the problem Nehemiah called for action. “Come, let’s rebuild the wall…” Nehemiah is a leader standing with confidence and calling others to join him in accomplishing the vision. Leaders call others to commit to the vision. This is a step that involves a big risk and some leaders hesitate at this decisive point because they recognize intuitively that not everyone will follow. They might fear that no one will follow! Servant leaders have courage to take this step because they are convinced that what they are asking people to do has been birthed in prayer and comes from the heart of God. They recognize that not everyone will make the commitment but they also realize that until they boldly call for action, nothing will be accomplished. For servant leaders their own identity is not at stake, this is already secure in their relationship with God. They are not trying to prove themselves as leaders, simply seeking to accomplish what God desires to do through them. Before calling others to commit to the vision, the servant leader has already made that commitment. He or she knows that there will be hard work and opposition ahead but is ready to move forward.
Share the plan.
Nehemiah recognized that as he called people to commit to the vision they would want to know his plan so he shared with them details about the plan that he had. Right at the beginning he painted a picture of what the future would look like when the wall is finished, “We will no longer be in disgrace.” He talked with them about ways that God has already confirmed His direction for this vision. Later he would tell them in more detail who will repair each section of the wall. As he shared the plan their confidence increased and they began to believe that the vision could become a reality.
Communicate more!
This passage represents Nehemiah’s first and most significant communication of the vision but it would not be the last time he needed to communicate the vision. Opposition would arise, people would lose their initial enthusiasm after lifting stones in the hot sun and they would need to be stirred up again. Many leaders think that a great vision speech will last for a lifetime but great leaders repeat the vision again and again. They continually work at communicating the vision in more effective ways and with greater clarity. They repeat it regularly in public and in private. They are not satisfied until everyone clearly understands the vision and are doing their part to carry it out. Servant leaders are not discouraged by the need to repeat the vision; they recognize that it is a part of their job description and do whatever it takes to keep people’s eyes on the vision.
The importance of communication of the vision cannot be overstated. Whether in business, education, politics or church leadership, servant leaders have great visions and learn from Nehemiah how to effectively communicate the vision in ways that inspire people to work. That will be the subject of our next issue!
For further reflection and discussion:
- Have I clearly asked for commitment from those who are following? If not, what fears keep me from taking this step? What do I need to do to deal with these fears?
- Do those who follow me know as much as they need to know about the plan of action? Do they recognize what part they play in carrying out the vision?
- Have I communicated the vision often enough? When is the last time I shared the vision? Do I have a plan to keep the vision in front of the people I serve? Are there ways that I can more effectively share the vision? What stories can be used to help people understand the vision?