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Nehemiah
Of all the Bible’s leaders, Nehemiah provides one of the best patterns for “doing it right.” From Nehemiah 1:1-11, we see how Nehemiah faced a huge challenge. The walls of Jerusalem were in shambles, and exiles who returned were beaten down. Let’s see how he approached the problem:
- He carefully studied the situation (v. 2-3).
- He empathized with those who were hurting (v. 4).
- He humbled himself before God (v. 4)
- He prayed (v. 5-11)…adoring God, confessing his nation’s sin, and petitioned God for help.
Ultimately, Nehemiah knew what every great leader knows: all wisdom comes from God, and using his wisdom to make good decisions is something God wants to help us learn to do.
As a HR professional, I often hear about conflicts between people. Over the years, I’ve come to recognize that when two people are involved in a conflict, there are at least 3 different sides to the story…and sometimes, truth is elusive. I also recognize that when my relationship with God isn’t where it should be, my ability to discern truth is off. So, like Nehemiah, I recognize that all wisdom comes from God, and I need to remain connected to him to be effective in working with people.
Men of Issachar
1 Chronicles 12:32 says, the men of Issachar “understood the times and knew what Israel should do–200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command.” This statement underscores two essential components of effective decision-making: awareness and decisiveness. Awareness involves obtaining enough information and performing careful analysis of the pertinent facts. Generally, leaders should exercise patience when facing important decisions. But once they make a decision, they should decisively communicate and implement their decision.
At NASA, there is a joke (often used to make a point) that once a decision is announced, the time for debate begins. Many times, especially in technical organizations, scientists and engineers are convinced of the “truth” of their interpretation of the data. Unfortunately, there are times that the debate needs to stop, a decision needs to be made, and the organization needs to move on. So, you can see that the statement above is a statement made out of frustration…
Like the men of Issachar, today’s leaders need to understand the times, the cultural climate in which they live and work, so they can be the change they want to see in the organization. At NASA, we’ve done a lot of reflection on our history. When the Johnson Space Center was founded, it was dominated by young white men with a charge to get to the Moon. The organization culture was shaped by these men. Over the years, diversity of the team increased, as women and minorities joined JSC. Today, we’re taking a hard look at our culture to make sure that everyone who is on the team…or who joins the team in the future…feels like an “insider”…and the organization culture is open to people of different backgrounds and perspectives. How about you? Are you aware of your organization’s cultural climate? Does it support a diversity of thought & perspectives?
To what degree do you seek the counsel of others when making important decisions? The men of Issachar were well-informed and decisive; learn from them, but lean on God.
Solomon’s Words of Wisdom
In Proverbs 1:1-6, Solomon urges readers to attain wisdom, keep disciplined, and seek words of insight in order to make good decisions. Good decisions require accurately processed information. Today, technology has made getting information easy. Computers crunch data and give it to us in digestible bits, but the human mind must still analyze the data, turn it into information, and make the decisions.
Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Leaders should study the rest of Proverbs as a foundation for exceptional decision making.
May you learn from Nehemiah’s approach; emulate the sons of Issachar’s awareness and decisiveness; and follow the wisdom of Proverbs as you shoot for the stars!