12 Vital Behaviors of Highly Effective Leaders

Everything rises and falls on leadership. – Dr. John C. Maxwell

This is the story of a leader who lived about 2500 years ago. I consider him to be the best-kept secret of highly effect leadership in history. He led a group of dispirited amateurs to accomplish an amazing feat under difficult conditions.

Our story begins in the palace of the Persian king. He worked in the palace, but he wasn't a member of the royal family or the ruling class. He was a servant, from a tribal group that had been conquered, enslaved and carried into exile.

He had an important and dangerous job. He was the king’s cup bearer. In ancient times, a cup bearer managed the king’s beverage to ensure the king wasn’t poisoned by a rival. The cup bearer drank from the king’s cup to demonstrate it was safe before serving it to the king.

In his autobiographical account, he describes how one day he received news from his homeland.

 One of my relatives came with men from my homeland; and I asked them concerning the people who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning the capital city. And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach.   The wall of the city is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

Rival tribes of people had moved into the vacuum created when the inhabitants were conquered and exiled. The remaining survivors were impoverished and oppressed by their ancient enemies. The news greatly distressed the cup bearer. One day, the king noticed his change of countenance.

In the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” 

Effective leaders seek responsibility to resolve large challenges

                 I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found                  favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to my homeland, to the city                    of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” Then the king said to me,                    “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

The cup bearer was appointed governor over his homeland's ruined capital city and given a secuity detail to accompany him for his long journey through dangerous territory.

Effective leaders secure resources to get the job done

I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to my destination, and a letter to the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me.

 Effective leaders take action at the right time

Four months had passed between the time he first heard the news about the conditions in his homeland and when he proposed a plan of action to the king. During this time, he prepared himself. He knew that a “half-baked” plan would not be supported by the king. When the timing was right, he requested the authority and resources he needed.

When he arrived in his homeland, he waited to reveal his plan until he had an opportunity to size up the challenge. He knew that he needed to know more details before he could credibly ask others to join him on the project.

So I came to the city and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what was in my heart to do. And I went out by night and viewed the walls which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. Then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the people or the officials.

Effective leaders are action-oriented, but they also have a sense for the right time to take action.

 Effective leaders communicate a clear, compelling vision

 Effective leaders see the compelling “why” something must be done, and they communicate it in a way that connects with others. In order to incite action, the vision must be clear and concrete; it must be tangible enough that followers can see themselves in the final picture. When leaders fail to communicate clear priorities, the result is confusion, diffused energy and poor results.

 Every leader needs to clearly explain the top three things the organization is working on. If you can't, then you're not leading well. - Jeff Immelt

The vision must also be compelling. The goal must be challenging enough to energize the people. No one is energized by goals that are too easy. Secondly, it must solve a problem that the people care about.

            If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you. - Steve Jobs

An impactful vision is not only clear and compelling, it is concise and memorable.  His vision was stated in two, memorable sentences:

You see the distress that we are in, how the city lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall, that we may no longer be a reproach.

The response of the people indicates the clarity and strength of the vision.

So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

The labor force and building materials were present all along, but nothing happened until the leader entered the picture and inspired the people to action.

Effective leaders persevere despite criticism or difficulty

Every leader, and every project, encounters obstacles. Effective leaders don’t allow criticism or difficulty to deter them from their objective. They give heed to their vision, not to their critics.

But when our enemies heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So I answered them, and said to them, “We will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial here.”

Effective leaders are tough-minded and focused. They don’t allow criticism or difficulty to distract them.

 Effective leaders leverage their time and abilities

Highly effective leaders know they have limited time, attention, capacity and energy. They focus on what is strategic and avoid becoming entangled in tactical execution.

The art of strategy is knowing what not to do. - Jack Reid

The new governor led the rebuilding of the wall, but he didn’t do the manual labor himself.  He cast the vision and recruited the people to do the work. While the people worked, he rode back and forth to provide oversight, inspiration and protection.  He kept his eyes focused on the big picture so that he could address problems that would hinder the work.

Now it happened, when our enemies heard that the walls were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack us and create confusion. Nevertheless we prayed and set a watch against them day and night.

Effective leaders build strong teams and develop other leaders

We cannot accomplish anything of great significance alone. We simply don’t have enough wisdom, time, capacity or energy to do it alone.

The best leader is the one who has the sense to surround himself with outstanding people and self-restraint not to meddle with how they do their jobs. – Unknown

He assigned tribal elders as leaders over work teams building different sections of the wall. He communicated regularly with the other leaders throughout the project to keep abreast of progress and problems. He trusted other leaders to supervise tactical execution and he monitored progress and problems by communicating with the other leaders.

Effective leaders re-energize discouraged followers

As the wall rose against the skyline, the work became increasingly difficult. The workers had to lift the heavy stones higher and higher. They also had to dig deeper and deeper into the rubble to extract usable stones. He heeded the reports he heard from his other leaders.

Then they said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

As their enemies threatened them and the people became weary and discouraged, he restated the vision in heart-language, connecting his vision to their families’ safety and well-being:

And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” And it happened, when our enemies heard that their plot was known to us and brought to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

Effective leaders inspire others by connecting to their hearts as well as their heads.

 A leader is a dealer in hope. - Napoleon Bonaparte 

          A leader is a person you will follow to a place you wouldn't go by yourself. - Joel Barker

Effective leaders don’t ignore risks, they prepare for them

The people were under constant threat of violent assault from their enemies. The risk did not deter him; he formulated a contingency plan to protect the people and the project.

Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

Effective leaders earn the trust of those they lead

People won’t follow someone they don’t trust.

Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. - General Norman Schwarzkopf 

 Trust is the force that connects people to the leader and the leader’s vision. – Jon Gordon

Effective leaders must model the vision with your own behavior. This leader sacrificed his rights as the appointed governor for the good of his people.

       I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

People follow the leader first and the leader’s vision second. It doesn't matter if the leader shares a powerful vision; if the leader is not someone who people will follow, the vision will never be realized.  As a leader, who you are makes a difference. The most important message you can share is yourself. – Jon Gordon

Effective leaders confront problems directly

He didn’t shrink from confronting others when necessary. He wisely and courageously confronted numerous “people problems”, including destructive behaviors of other leaders in his tribal group:

• Protecting the people from external enemies
• Dealing with an internal conspirator who had an alliance with the enemy
• Oppression of the poor through debt-bondage to tribal leaders

Trust is a leader’s currency. This leader earned the people’s trust. He left the relative safety of the palace in order to serve and to lead in a dangerous environment. As a result, the people rebuilt the city wall in only 52 days!

Effective leaders celebrate results in meaningful ways

After the wall was built, the leader hosted a great, multi-day celebration. To celebrate means to acknowledge, to applaud or to reward.

The behaviors that are celebrated are repeated. The decisions that are celebrated are repeated. The values that are celebrated are repeated.                           Celebrations trump motivational speeches every time. – Andy Stanley

Summary

Highly effective leader demonstrate twelve vital behaviors:

1. Seek responsibility and take action to resolve large challenges
2. Secure resources to get the job done
3. Take action at the right time
4. Communicate a clear, compelling, memorable vision
5. Persevere despite criticism and difficulty
6. Leverage their time
7. Build strong teams and develop other leaders
8. Re-energize discouraged followers
9. Don’t ignore risks, prepare for them
10. Earn the trust of followers
11. Confront problems directly
12. Celebrate results

After I tell this story to a group of leaders, the first question is always “who was he?” You may recognize the story. His name was Nehemiah. The city was Jerusalem. You can read his complete account in the book of Nehemiah in the Bible.

*If you want others to see this article, Like it and/or Share it. If you missed them, you may also be interested in these articles:

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