Nehemiah is one of my favorite people in the Old Testament. He was a leader, pure and simple. Here are several leadership traits that stand out to me that he possessed. 1. Humble- he ranked high in the Kingdom of Artaxerxes- he was cupbearer to the King. Yet he understood the stewardship of his role. And arrived in Jerusalem only with the animal he was riding, when he could have asked the King for many more men to help him and escort him back.

2. Compassionate- when he learned of the suffering of his people, he sat down and cried. And then mourned for days, fasting and praying for his Jewish brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.

3. Visionary- he immediately captured the hearts of the people to help in rebuilding the walls. He was a masterful motivator. To show up and be able to rally the people to work together was an amazing feat.

4. Strength and courage- when confronted with naysayers and even potential attacks from those outside the city, he held the people together, spoke with strength and determination and confidence, and even instructed those building the wall to have a spear in one hand and a tool in the other!

5. Organized- Nehemiah quickly assembled working teams to rebuild the wall with haste, and had people working round the clock to finish the job. Anyone who can lead rebuilding the wall in 52 days has the ability to organize and stay focused on the strategy at hand.

6. Integrity- when Nehemiah learned of the way some of the people were being cheated and sold into slavery by others in the city, he quickly brought light to it and put a new solution and system in place. He wouldn't stand for the iniquities that had been going on for quite a while.