Maintain Confidentiality

I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:12

When my wife’s family gets together to play cards, there’s always someone who can’t hold his cards without everyone else seeing what’s in his hand. This person (okay, it’s me) needs to hold his cards “close to the vest.”

Nehemiah provides a good example of this leadership principal as he describes his inspection of Jerusalem’s wall in the middle of the night.

He wasn’t doing anything improper or unethical, but it was critical that his plans not be made public until he had finished his research. There was no benefit to be gained by sharing his strategy until it was locked into place and ready to go.

Every leader needs a small group of people in whom to confide. Ideas need to be tossed around and refined before they are made public. Announcing half-baked plans is a good recipe for failure.

Do you have a select group of confidants?