A leader must turn from merely translating what is happening in the culture, but provide context. They are looking at nuances, slight changes in perspective, and how things are being said. A leader as an interpreter senses things.They feel. They cultivate their intuition. This type of leader is a “sense maker.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same. We live in a fast changing culture. The shifts needed in leadership can appear daunting. However, even in the midst of rapid change, the core of what a leader does has stayed relative consistent.

The book of Nehemiah is a wonderful book on leadership and management. In this story, narrated by Nehemiah himself, you can discover practical methods of moving a dream forward in the midst of dimming optimism. Nehemiah became aware of a need in the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was his ancestral home. He had never been there himself, but he was well aware of its history as the city of God.

I was approached by a younger leader right after he had been assigned an upper management position in his organization. He asked, “What advice do you have for me?”
After a bit of thought I shared with him, “Two things: First, find your voice; second, find your audience.”