The Power of Dissatisfied Leaders.
Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 2:2-4
A dissatisfied leader identifies a problem, feels the anguish, and provides a solution. Influential leaders are dissatisfied leaders!
Nehemiah was a dissatisfied leader. He found out the wall of Jerusalem was in ruins, and the ones who survived exile were in great torment and humiliation. (Neh. 1:1-3) Nehemiah felt the anguish! His dissatisfaction with this reality led him to repair what was broken. (Neh. 1:4) Knowing the situation, he couldn't rest until it was resolved. (Neh. 1:5-10) The entire book of Nehemiah shares this beautiful story of rebuilding the wall and a nation. (Neh. 2-13)
The lack of leaders like Nehemiah is a phenomenon in organizations—from for-profit to non-profit, from faith-based to the marketplace. The opposite of Nehemiah's leadership is taking over. Instead of feeling anguish and finding solutions that build up society, leaders are driven by influence and power. Why do organizations seek out leaders driven by performance above character? Because they want influence and power as well. This explains why we have several "jerk leaders" in high-level positions today.
A Christ-centered leader is a dissatisfied leader. They desire to provide a solution to the problems they see. A solution that will reveal glory to the NAME above all names, as we see in the story of Nehemiah.
Have you ever worked with a dissatisfied leader? What did you learn from them?
Eduardo Mendes
Founder and President
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