The Leadership ChallengeSample

Challenge 24

NEHEMIAH: ANALYZING THE SITUATION

READ: Nehemiah 2:11–16

Nehemiah has secured authorization and supplies from the king and now arrives in Jerusalem. For three days he waits quietly before taking action. Then he begins with a low-profile trip around the city at night. Just a few men are with him, and he does not even tell them what they are doing—that God has prompted him to rebuild the walls of the city of his ancestors. Starting and ending at the Valley Gate, they survey the damage and make an assessment of what needs to be done and where. Analysis is at the heart of the military decision-making process. After receiving the mission from the commander, the staff conducts a mission analysis before moving on to developing and testing courses of action. Effective execution of the mission is dependent upon the quality of the situational analysis. We see the process at work with Nehemiah.

What else do we learn from Nehemiah’s mission and reconnaissance from the reading? Why would he want to keep his plans a secret as this point? What steps can you take to improve how you analyze the tasks assigned to you as a leader?