Servant Leadership (Part 1)

Max Depree is the former CEO of Herman Miller Furniture, a Fortune 500 company in Zeeland, Michigan. Max is also the author of two books on leadership, Leadership Is an Art and Leadership Jazz. In this second book, he writes, “I enjoy jazz and one way to think about leadership is to consider a jazz band. Jazz band leaders must choose the music, find the right musicians and perform—in public. But the effect of the performance depends on so many things—the environment, the volunteers playing in the band, the need for everybody to perform as individuals and as a group, the absolute dependence of the leader on the members of the band to play well. A jazz band is an expression of servant leadership.”

Nehemiah was this kind of servant leader. After obtaining a leave of absence from his job as cupbearer for King Artaxerxes, he traveled 800 miles from Persia to Jerusalem. Faced with what seemed to be an insurmountable wall-rebuilding job, he built a team that together finished the task in an amazing 52 days (Neh. 6:15). What can we learn about servant leadership from Nehemiah?

1) Rest before tackling a project. Having traveled hundreds of miles, probably on horseback, Nehemiah took a few days off after arriving back home in Jerusalem (2:11). He wanted his mind sharp and his body rested before he tackled a major building program. Having been deeply involved in three building programs, I know personally how draining they can be on mind and body.

2) Do your homework. Nehemiah then took a quiet midnight ride around the damaged walls and gates of the city to see firsthand what really needed to be done. A survey and fact-finding mission were his top priority. Jesus Himself warned about the danger of not making a careful assessment of costs and timeline projections (Luke 14:28-30).

3) Involve others. Nehemiah invited some leaders to join him on his midnight ride. Servant leaders know the value of a team approach to ministry (Neh. 2:12).

On Wednesday, we will explore other leadership insights as we examine Nehemiah’s approach to building projects.