One measure of a leader’s effectiveness is their problem-solving skills. Read Nehemiah 6:1-14.

While the walls were taking shape in Jerusalem, Nehemiah’s enemies Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, themselves powerful leaders, tried to sidetrack him with a number of different strategies:

Outsiders’ demands have a tendency to sidetrack a leader from accomplishing the goal. Effective leaders stay focused on the vision and goals rather than giving time to every peripheral demand. Read Nehemiah 6:1-9.

Several regional leaders had enjoyed great favor with the Persian kings and had great wealth and power from the area known as Judah before the Jews had resettled the land after the Babylonian exile. Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem were all regional leaders or area governors of Judah and Jerusalem prior to the Jews being allowed to leave exile in Babylon to resettle the land. Every step the Jews made to become self-sufficient and a sovereign nation directly serving the king of Persia threatened their power over them and their ability to tax them. A wall being built around Jerusalem would greatly diminish their ability to intimidate the Jews living there and exacting taxes from this group would be virtually impossible.

Leaders’ integrity is always demonstrated best through their actions. Read Nehemiah 5:14-19.

Nehemiah was appointed governor of Judah and served for approximately 12 years before being recalled for service to King Artaxerxes in Babylon. As governor he was supported in part by taxation. Each family delivered part of a standard allotment of wine, livestock and grain due the governor to feed him, his family and the governor’s staff. Earlier governors had not only taken all their food and wine allotment but had placed an additional financial tax of silver on each family. As almost always happens, when power is abused by a leader, the assistants also took liberties to abuse their power over the people as well.

Proverbs 16:11-12tlb says, “The Lord demands fairness in every business deal. He established the principle. It is a horrible thing for a king to do evil. His right to rule depends on his fairness.” Wise leaders understand the power of fairness when developing team unity. Read Nehemiah 5:1-8.

Nehemiah had faced and handled plenty of external conflict from other nations around Jerusalem in the process of rebuilding the walls but often the most debilitating conflicts to progress come from internal strife.

We have all watched sporting events where one team could not get a break. The outcome seemed sure. All the momentum was working for one team when something happens – a mistake by the team with all the momentum or a super effort by one of the players on the downtrodden team and momentum swings and the impossible happens; the sure winner loses. Momentum is a leader’s best friend. Momentum is critical for success. When a leader has momentum with their team they may even appear to be better than they really are. Momentum can’t be taken for granted and when it slips the wise leader takes action to get it back. Read Nehemiah 4:7-20.

Nehemiah was enjoying great success in the Jerusalem wall building project. The people bought into Nehemiah’s leadership. They saw the vision, acted with unity and were moving quickly to build a wall around the city. The people in Jerusalem were enjoying great success and they had forward momentum to finish the project when some of the region’s men, who had control before Nehemiah showed up, made their move. These were high-powered, non-Jewish officials who had influence, wealth and military power.