Persistence

John Maxwell says that persistence is the ultimate gauge of leadership.

“Our enemies learned that we knew all about their plan and that God had frustrated it. And we went back to the wall and went to work.” – Nehemiah 4:15

One of the great tests of leadership is how you handle opposition.  Nehemiah faced the usual tactics of the opposition: ridicule, resistance, and rumor.  Nehemiah modeled the right response to all three of these challenges by…

  • Relying on God
  • Respecting the opposition
  • Reinforcing his weak points
  • Reassuring the people
  • Refusing to quit
  • Renewing the people’s strength continually

Nehemiah had to deal with problems from without (ridicule resistance, and rumor) as well as within (disputes about food, property, and taxes).

Persistence is the ultimate gauge of our leadership; the secret is to outlast our critics. Nehemiah taught us this lesson by staying committed to his ultimate calling.

from: The Maxwell Leadership Bible

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