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"So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven."
(Nehemiah 1:4)
Let's talk some more about how great leaders ask questions and then listen to what others have to say. The first thing we see Nehemiah doing is asking questions. Whatever your sphere of leadership and influence, you have to be able to slow down and ask about what you don't know. Those who work with and for you know things you do not, so ask them. In the movie Hidden Figures, Al Harrison, played by Kevin Costner, is rough around the edges, but one thing he does very well is ask the smartest person in the room what she thought. The "she" in this story is Katherine Johnson (played by Taraji Henson), the heroine of the story and a brilliant NASA mathematician who played a key role in John Glenn's successful orbit around earth. Johnson's immediate supervisor, Paul Stafford (played by the Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons), only gave her orders and did not value her opinion because he was jealous and wanted her to clearly know that he was the boss.
Asking questions shows that you care as the leader. Great leaders genuinely care about their people and their mission. It becomes evident early on whether a leader is only concerned with self-promotion and advancement or if he or she is really passionate about the team and the task at hand.
Nehemiah is viscerally and demonstrably affected by what he has heard of his beloved homeland. Notice that he sat down; perhaps the news caused his knees to buckle. Then he wept. Nehemiah was strong and did not back down from confrontation, but here he wept. Tears are not a sign of weakness but of meekness and compassion. Nehemiah mourned for many days. The news he had received about his countrymen in Jerusalem deeply moved him and caused him to mourn so. During this time, he fasted and prayed to the God of heaven (that would be Yahweh, Jehovah, the one true God, maker of heaven and earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).
Good leaders, or those who are worthy of following, are those who care, listen, ask questions, and when terrible things happen to those they care about, are notably affected. Nehemiah was doing all right by himself and could have said, "Well, that's sad, and I will pray for them." But if he had such a cavalier attitude, you and I would not be reading about him now.
Great leaders listen and are compassionate. When trouble comes, they don't sweep it under the rug, they express concern. Nehemiah was physically shaken by the news from his homeland. You can learn much from a man's tears rather than just his years. The trait of compassion is greatly needed if you are to lead well. The old adage is still true, "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care."
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