Do you give your team reasons to trust your leadership? (118-2)

Effective leaders help their team believe they can be trusted as their leader by giving them understanding of the scope of their work before a project starts and continually reinforcing why the team is taking certain actions as the project progresses. These actions are designed to help the team believe in their leader as much as understand the project. Read Nehemiah 2:5-18.

God had given Nehemiah His favor with King Artaxerxes and allowed him to return to Jerusalem from Babylon to rebuild the protective walls around the city. Nehemiah showed up in Jerusalem with some fanfare. He rode in, probably dressed more like a “royal” than an ordinary caravan visitor. He was escorted by a troop of Persian cavalry sent by the king for his protection. His initial actions gave indication he wasn’t passing through but staying a while. If you were a citizen of Jerusalem, there was more reason to mistrust Nehemiah than to trust him. It might have been hard to see him as a leader that had Jerusalem’s best interest at heart.

Nehemiah had the leadership savvy to take three days to size up the situation even before approaching Jerusalem’s leadership. When he does speak he has the wisdom to know the people had to believe in him before they would believe in his plan to rebuild the city walls. Notice how Nehemiah wins the trust of the people before he enlists their loyalty to the project:

• Nehemiah focused on the benefits to the people living in the city. Nehemiah helped them see the current situation and gave them a vision for something better i.e. they would no longer be living in disgrace (v 17).
• Nehemiah included himself as one of them. By using the word “we” he let the people know that he was in the same dire situation as they were (v 17).
• Nehemiah gave the people insight into his personal character and what had been done to date. “I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me” (v 18).
  • He let them see he had committed himself to oversee the project (v 5)
  • He let them know that he had been approved to get the timber they would need to rebuild the gates (v 8).
  • He let them know he had the authority to move forward with the project (v 18).
  • He let them know God’s hand was on him and had given him favor (v 18).

Wise leaders know that their team needs to see them as the leader and trust them as much as they do the plan. Do you continue to give your team reasons to trust your leadership? What one thing could you do this week to help your team see you as trustworthy?