Ezzy and Nemmy

Years later, Nehemiah, a trusted political advisor to the Babylonian King, heard about the pitiful condition the wall around Jerusalem was in, and with a nudge from the Lord and permission from the King, went to fix it. When he got there, the leadership void was clear, so he stepped in, organized the people, and got to work. Like any major project, he ran into a lot of issues, namely humans. There were doubters, whiners, critics, lazy people, and plenty of snot-nosed privileged candies who thought they were above the work. Nehemiah led through it all, finished the great wall, and even hosted a dance party around the entire thing to celebrate and send a message to their enemies that they were back in business.

With the wall done, order was re-established, the people organized, and the population grew. Ezra and Nehemiah laid down the law, created standards, and reminded the Jewish nation what God expected of them. Things went great for a while, then Nehemiah went back to Babylon for a bit, and without a strong cat in charge, the mice started playing.  

They allowed illegal immigration, rented out part of the temple, stopped caring for the needs of the priests, defiled the sabbath day, mixed the blood with foreigners, and didn't teach the language and culture to their youth. They pulled up anchor and drifted into the no man's land.

"Remember them, O my God, for they have defiled the priesthood and the solemn vows of the priests and Levites. So I purged out everything foreign and assigned tasks to the priests and Levites, making certain that each knew his work. I also made sure that the supply of wood for the altar and the first portions of the harvest were brought at the proper times. Remember this in my favor, O my God." (Nehemiah 13:29-31)

The old Russian proverb, often quoted by Ronald Reagan, "Trust but verify, " was in play. Nehemiah came back, saw that he had made a mistake by leaving them without strong leadership, and had to make a quick course correction.  

That's the way it is with most people and teams. Without a structure of checks and balances, we tend to veer off course. At first, just a little, and then, over time, a degree or two off the mark, and you miss the target altogether.  

Don't leave your family's or your team's results to chance.

Set clear expectations, develop standards, and measure what's important. Then check in... often. Don't take for granted that people know exactly what to do. And vice versa, be accountable to them as well. I don't know about you, but when I work out with a good trainer, I work harder and get better results than when I do it alone.  

Don't take your eye off the ball, or you may miss it altogether and strike out with runners on base. Lead like Ezzy and Nemmy by working the soil, watering the garden, and putting up fences to keep things on track. Then tend the garden daily, or weeds and varmints may take over.