Tag Archives: nehemiah

“Imagine that you work for the mayor of Los Angeles. It is a very impressive position. You are his executive assistant. You are by the mayor’s side most of the time, assisting him and guiding him in whatever he needs to be an effective leader of a major US city.
One day, a visitor to the mayor’s office happens to be from the same hometown as you, a medium- sized southern community on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. You are anxious for some news from home. How is everyone doing? Has the weather been good? Do they still have that little baseball field on the south side that you used to love to play at during those long, hot, sticky summer days? 
The news the visitor gives you is unexpected at best. The visitor tells you that the weather has been horrendous. It has rained for days, and it is supposed to be an awful hurricane season. Experts estimate that 3- 5 hurricanes will hit the gulf coast this year. To make matters worse, because of economic woes the city has been experiencing the last few years, the city leaders have neglected to repair the old decrepit city levees. These levees are the only real defense the city has against these coming hurricanes.

As the visitor leaves your office, a hopeless feeling comes over you. What are you going to do? What can you do? Even though you haven’t been back to your hometown for years, the place still owns a very special part of your heart. After all, it is home…

That is very similar to what Nehemiah faced in the Old Testament in the Bible. Of course, it wasn’t a city on the coast in the Gulf of Mexico and the threat wasn’t hurricanes. But, I am sure the desperate, hopeless feeling was identical as well as the same desire to do something to make it better.

In this book, we are going to delve into the story of Nehemiah and what his example can mean for us in this contemporary day. You see, I believe that the story of Nehemiah and his success can help us become better parents, better executives, better employees, better friends, better team members…better people. Why? Because the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament is all about leadership. 

Leadership is the key to all success. When we become better leaders, we become better- at everything! (Excerpted from ‘Nehemiah on Leadership’ by Mark Bowser, http://amzn.to/1ruxFRs)