Hand Me Another Brick: Timeless Lessons on Leadership

by Charles R. Swindoll

Do others look to you for leadership? Do you face a major task or shoulder heavy responsibilities? Do you want to take your leadership skills to a higher level?

When Nehemiah confronted the task of rebuilding Jerusalem's wall, he was heartbroken by the damage he saw and nearly overwhelmed by the task that lay before him. Yet through the application of timeless leadership principles, Nehemiah completed this nearly impossible project, and laid a pattern for success which is just as valid for us today.

Charles Swindoll brings his sensible and straightforward style to offer a deeply spiritual approach to the role of leader. Whatever the context, secular or ministerial, he demonstrates how to size up a task, organize and motivate a team, and respond to inevitable obstacles such as

Unforeseen setbacks Unrelenting deadlines Criticism and outside resistance Personality conflicts Financial pressures and temptations The insights that Swindoll draws from Nehemiah's wise administration will change your approach to leadership forever.

Genres: Leadership, Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Faith, Theology, Christianity

237 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 1978

About the author

Charles Swindoll has devoted over four decades to two passions: an unwavering commitment to the practical communication and application of God's Word, and an untiring devotion to seeing lives transformed by God's grace. Chuck graduated magna cum laude from Dallas Theological Seminary and has since been honored with four doctorates. For his teaching on Insight for Living, he has received the Program of the Year award and the Hall of Fame award from the National Religious Broadcasters as well as multiple book awards.

Reviews

[Melissa AuClair]

I'm biased cause I've never read a bad Charles R. Swindoll book.

But it really was good. With the exception of some references to leaders in large organizations, the book applies to everyone- because we all lead- whether we lead our children or the people in our sphere of influence at the office, the committee or the mentoring group.

Plus, the story of Nehemiah is SO good and I don't hear a lot of teaching on the life lessons in this Bible book- it was an encouraging and helpful read.

[Élizabeth]

I was caught off guard by the 1980s cover for this book: under it lies such a gem for ministry!! Swindoll demonstrates leadership principles clearly from the story of Nehemiah. Another suitable title for this book would be "The Praying Leader", Swindoll makes also a very strong case for the spiritual life of leaders (more than other leadership books I've read or heard about). Awesome for anyone (not just pastors: business men, professors, moms, student club leaders, you name it).

[Ben]

An excellent volume on leadership based upon the book of Nehemiah. Swindoll has managed to write in a way that is readily understandable without sacrificing depth (a rare talent in my experience). Definitely a book I would recommend!

[Liz Colibrí]

Lo que puedo decir acerca de este libro es que debes tener agallas para leerlo, pero si verdaderamente en tu corazón arde el anhelo de completar la obra de Dios, ser un buen líder, pero sobre todo llegar a ser similiar a Cristo, este libro es para ti.

¡Totalmente retada!

[Kathy]

OUTSTANDING - a must read at least once a year!!

[Diana]

Muy bueno, lo leí en 2 días y lo volveré a leer, aprendí mucho, realmente no veía de esa manera la vida de Nehemías, es un gran ejemplo de vida.
Lo recomiendo mucho!

[Daniel Taylor]

As a teenager and a new Christian, I read this book for the first time in 1990. A couple of things happened because of that reading.

First, I discovered a calling to serve as a leader, something that would develop further through books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell. I'd go on to give leadership to my youth group as a Teen Leader, to over 160 people in corporate and community Toastmasters clubs, and now to a ministry for Professionals 35+.

Second, I fell in love with Chuck Swindoll as my favourite Christian author. He takes biblical leadership and teaches you what to focus on and how to lead. Out of all his books, this one has blessed my life the most and I'm pleased that it stands the test of time when I reread it for the first time in 32 years. I don't plan to leave it so long before I read it again.

If you're not a Christian, you won't get as much benefit from this book as you would if you were. But you will still gain principles and methods for being a better leader. I recommend it to anyone who wants to lead or is already leading.

[Leslie]

The Biblical story of Nehemiah offers some wonderful insights of how to be a leader. Chuck Swindoll extracts these valuable lessons for leaders in ministry.

[Jerry Simmons]

This book by Charles Swindoll is an in-depth study of the book of Nehemiah. Swindoll begins the book with the background and overview of Nehemiah’s work in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He follows Nehemiah’s three different roles: Cup bearer, builder and governor.
Swindoll considers the prayer life of the cup bearer. He digs deep into the story to uncover the powerful principles that Nehemiah lived by as he waited and prayed for Jerusalem. Did you know that he waited and prayed for four months before the king gave him the approval to go to Jerusalem?
Next Swindoll considers Nehemiah the builder. We have much to learn from Nehemiah from his example in building. He models for us how to handle criticism, strong opposition, threats, discouragement and issues of sin.
The final role that Swindoll examines is Nehemiah as the governor. How a leader handles promotion and authority is even more important than how a leader handles difficulty. Nehemiah used, but did not abuse his authority. Nehemiah did not just build a wall, but he helped bring about spiritual revival to the people.
-Jerry

“What do we mean when we use the word leadership? If I were asked to define it in one single word, the word would be ‘influence.’ You lead someone to the measure you influence him.” -Charles Swindoll

[F]

Really I would give this book 3.5 stars. What it covers in Nehemiah is 4 or 5 star worthy but what it doesn't cover, at all, is cringe worthy. Here is what he wrote, "The delegation of labor is described in detail in chapter 3 of the Book of Nehemiah." And that was it for chapter 3. Nehemiah 7 got a little more than that but not much. If you are going to cover a book like Nehemiah [even if you are not calling it a commentary] couldn't you at least say a little more about two of the thirteen chapters?

He calls Nehemiah's revival the first recorded revival but that is pushing the issue somewhat [Josiah's revival comes to mind- several hundred years earlier, Jonah's revival in Nineveh, etc.]. I like Swindoll- I really do, but that seems like a really weak statement- especially with no evidence or explanatory remarks to explain what he means.

Good book- but a little more and it could have been great.

[Jason]

This book took me quite some time to get through. It is a deep dive into the book of Nehemiah through the lens of leadership. It discusses the qualities and perspectives that can enable you to be a better leader by reviewing each of the actions, inactions, reactions, prayers and petitions that Nehemiah made. There is a lot of stuff here.
I know for me, after reading this, it is more about how to apply some of these principles into my life. For that though, the particular copy I had included a study guide that walks you through both analyzing what you read as well as questions to promote application in your life.
So, while it may be a long read for a book of less than 200 pages, it is worth the time and effort.

[Mr]

Hand Me Another Brick is a concise book on leadership and the qualities required of a leader. Swindoll explains these qualities through the narrative of Nehemiah.

Using the chronological layout of the Book of Nehemiah, Swindoll shows the ups and downs of becoming and being a leader of a group of people. In summary, the qualities required to be an effective leader are: a prayerful life, conviction in what you believe, a joyous perspective, ability to take constructive criticism, continual planning and a hope for the future.

I recommend this book to anybody, even those who do not think they are in a leadership position. Swindoll writes in a way that is relatable, convincing, convicting, and practical. Well worth the read.

[Susie]

I enjoyed this book so much that I took notes on each chapter as I was reading it. Swindoll systematically identifies the qualities of a good leader and also the practical steps leaders can follow to deal with discouragement, promotions, the unknowns, passivity, and other problems as he follows the story of Nehemiah chronologically. Prayer, action, obedience, and other good qualities are encouraged, and I'll definitely be re-reading my notes often.

[Gerald Thomson]

Swindoll does a nice job of intertwining the story of Nehemiah and contemporary leadership skills, helping both the leader and those who follow those leaders. There is also wonderful insight into how to approach problems and opposition, using Nehemiah as an example of prayer and patience. The section about praying for those in leadership over you is very good, helping you to focus on what you can control and leaving to God what only He can change.

[Matthew]

I'd heard about this book forever, but only recently began to read it for myself. It is essentially a commentary on Nehemiah, but it is much to practical to be just that. It is a leadership book filled with all kinds of helpful advice to those who lead companies, churches, and families. Great read!!

[Jennifer Parker]

I thought this book was really good. I enjoyed getting to read about the author's example of Nehemiah and how Nehemiah, with God's help, became a leader. Also I found interesting the different aspects of leadership Nehemiah had done described in this book. If you are looking for some guidance on leadership, or want to gain knowledge on leadership, check this book out.

[Bill]

I first read this back in 1989 or so, a copy lent to me by a friend. Several years ago, I saw this paperback version and picked it up to add to my library. I have enjoyed and been challenged once again by Swindoll's study of leadership from the life of Nehemiah, and I would predict this is a volume I will revisit once again. I highly recommend it as a "good read."

[Kris]

The first book of spirituality I ever read. My dad recommended this after making a decision to follow Jesus as a 16 year old. Chuck Swindoll won me over as a gifted pastor communicating the difficulty in following Jesus and the hope for success.

[Christina]

Excellent book on servant leadership based on the book of Nememiah. I read this several years ago and learned A LOT! I'm reading it again now with my small group and learning even more. I think this is a must-read for any Christian in leadership.

[Rebekah]

Recommended to me as one of the best leadership books ever written. I don't know if it reached that status for me, but I really enjoyed it and loved that he took the leadership skills/ideas straight from the Bible.

[Betsy Gant]

This is an excellent book on Nehemiah and leadership! I've been studying the book of Nehemiah a lot this year. I bought this book from the FC Bookstore after my dad and Dr. Tom Hamilton recommended it to me. I marked up every page! So good. Y'all need to read this!

[Catherine]

Study if Nehemiah

A great breakdown on the book of Nehemiah. Thoroughly enjoyed the way that Swindoll broke down the story of Nehemiah offering many leadership skills and qualities to the reader.

[Diane Lybbert]

Swindoll uses the Biblical story of Nehemiah rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem to highlight good business leadership strategies for today. Insightful and well-written, even if the reader is not a manager/supervisor in the business world.

[Dan]

Excellent book using a biblical example of affective leadership and how to motive yourselt and others to work together for the Kingdom.

[Opa]

All his books are great.

[Tim]

Swindoll is the man, although the last chapter seems out of place.

Tuck away that dude in the middle of the book, and it's a masterpiece.

[Bro]

Super! I love this book and the sermon series. It is a real page turner.

[Pam Hylbert-eder]

I went through this book with the sermon series. A fantastic and Insightful study for those in leadership positions or possibly moving towards leadership.

[Vicky]

Really good look at what we are called to as leaders.

[Darrell]

A wonderful look into what makes a great leader.