Nehemiah the Israelite leader displays numerous traits of a Servant Leader in the biblical book, Nehemiah. Nehemiah sets out on a quest to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the wall that surrounds his beloved home. During this time, he encounters many obstacles and will overcome all roadblocks put in front of him. This paper will provide an analysis of two significant events, building the wall around Jerusalem and organizing Jerusalem’s people to rebuild the city.
The analysis will define two leadership models and provide specific examples for each model that will be presented; Servant Leadership and Transformational Leadership and the behaviors to model, if one intends to be a Servant Leader.
Nehemiah the Organizational Genius
Nehemiah’s gift of public speaking evokes the displaced people of Jerusalem, to realize the potential of the city. Nehemiah provides decisive responses to the problems he will face, and his unselfish behavior is for the good of Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s knowledge of coordinating building projects, and at the same time, managing opposition on many fronts, shows the organizational qualities he possesses.
The first event, is the building of the wall in the book of Nehemiah, this passage describes how the people of Jerusalem came together to rebuild the wall. Nehemiah aligns people by knowing the certain skills of the individuals and using those skills to participate in the construction. Nehemiah is able to organize and motivate skilled artisans to work alongside common laborers, shows the level of commitment Nehemiah was able to gain from the people. In addition, Nehemiah assigns family projects just outside their homes, sending the message teamwork will succeed in our commitment. Organizing and s...
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...rse, is I now have the knowledge and the belief that Servant Leadership can be implemented, and does yield rewards for the team, the company, and myself. The most critical item that I can do is to be a good steward for the Servant Leadership model, and seek the opportunity to speak out, about the benefits, and take action to use model when possible. The story of Nehemiah defines two modern-day theories; Servant Leadership and Transformational Leadership, the examples and research provide specific examples of how to use the models for everyday life.
Works Cited
Bass, B. M. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership, Syllabus article.
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Essentials of servant-leadership.
Kotter John P. (2001). What leaders really do. Harvard Business Review, Syllabus article.
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1996. “Sacrifices and Offerings in Ancient Israel” in Community, Identity, and Ideology: Social Science approach to the Hebrew Bible., ed. Charles E. Carter.
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Main Events in the history of Jerusalem. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2011, from Century One Educational Bookstore: http://www.centuryone.com/hstjrslm.html
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Stone, A. G., Russell, R. F., & Patterson, K. (n.d.). Transformational versus servant leadership: A difference in leader focus. Retrieved from http://www.regent.edu/acad/sls/publications/conference_proceedings/servant_leadership_roundtable/2003pdf/stone_transformation_versus.pdf