The idea of building walls, as Nehemiah did, describes repentance. However, repentance in western thought is an event, whilst for the Jews it described a journey or process. Thus, in leaving Babylon and heading for the burnt out mound of Zion, Nehemiah enacted repentance. The entire journey, including the building of the walls reflected a determined turnaround and commitment to a new future. Just as Israel once did at Gilgal and Jacob did at Mizpah, Nehemiah drew a line, stone by stone, to define his point of departure.
We understand repentance as an act of turning around, but do we apply that to leadership. I have quoted before that we cannot expect a different outcome whilst persisting in the same things. Well that describes repentance. If you want something to change in terms of outcomes, change your inputs, review your methods and redirect your energies.
The mandate to move in a new direction is either enshrined in the leader’s terms of reference or in a prophetic impulse or it is a response to some stimulus – changing demographics, declining performance, new threats, a shifting environment, etc. When God wanted Israel to change, He also stimulated various aspects of their environment, speaking through prophets, discomfort, warnings, preludes to disaster, etc.
Had the kings of old been sensitive to their God, they would have responded and led their people through change. Hezekiah did just that, as did others. Their zeal saw the dismantling of high places and a return to divine order, but too many leaders (I suspect the ratios are no different today), chose to ignore the megaphone of God that spoke into their deaf worlds. Great tragedy followed as God’s people fell to their enemies.
So when Nehemiah started building his wall, he made a clear statement to his gainsayers and his motley followers – “We are going that way and will not be deterred from our objectives. We will not turn back from what God has called us to do.”
That is leadership 101. It is almost always fraught with gainsaying. For numerous reasons, critics will question what is happening – such is life. Leaders should expect no less, but they must act in the spirit of repentance, by persisting until the change process has run its course. I am not suggesting bull-headedness. It’s a stupid leader who does not consult or include others, for how else can we win support for a new initiative and how can we have any certainty about the veracity of our decisions?
I am merely saying, on the assumption that the process is inclusive, that a leader has the tough task of pushing until change becomes reality – that may be the limit of his role, for it is not what he says, but what they do that ultimately matters. Thus leadership is a vital, albeit limited role (not a title or position), which clarifies and redirects through the process of wall building.
(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net
We understand repentance as an act of turning around, but do we apply that to leadership. I have quoted before that we cannot expect a different outcome whilst persisting in the same things. Well that describes repentance. If you want something to change in terms of outcomes, change your inputs, review your methods and redirect your energies.
This is possibly one of the defining roles of leadership. A leader will often sense the need for change and see what that change should look like, because the very fact that they are in leadership, implies a certain perspective. Followers generally lack perspective and tend to follow their own emphases, but a good leader develops a sense of new direction through consultation, listening, praying, reflection and the voice of many counselors.
Had the kings of old been sensitive to their God, they would have responded and led their people through change. Hezekiah did just that, as did others. Their zeal saw the dismantling of high places and a return to divine order, but too many leaders (I suspect the ratios are no different today), chose to ignore the megaphone of God that spoke into their deaf worlds. Great tragedy followed as God’s people fell to their enemies.
So when Nehemiah started building his wall, he made a clear statement to his gainsayers and his motley followers – “We are going that way and will not be deterred from our objectives. We will not turn back from what God has called us to do.”
That is leadership 101. It is almost always fraught with gainsaying. For numerous reasons, critics will question what is happening – such is life. Leaders should expect no less, but they must act in the spirit of repentance, by persisting until the change process has run its course. I am not suggesting bull-headedness. It’s a stupid leader who does not consult or include others, for how else can we win support for a new initiative and how can we have any certainty about the veracity of our decisions?
I am merely saying, on the assumption that the process is inclusive, that a leader has the tough task of pushing until change becomes reality – that may be the limit of his role, for it is not what he says, but what they do that ultimately matters. Thus leadership is a vital, albeit limited role (not a title or position), which clarifies and redirects through the process of wall building.
(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net
No comments:
Post a Comment