So, what is true success? If you look at Scripture, the Old Testament story of Nehemiah paints a beautiful picture in the third chapter of what true success looks like. Though the passage is somewhat obscure for modern times, detailing the rebuilding of a vital wall in Jerusalem, what strikes me most about the chapter is the frequent usage of the word next. It is used twenty-six times throughout the chapter in most English translations. Here is a snippet that reflects the nature and flow of the entire chapter:

“The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa” (Nehemiah 3:3–5).

I bet you’ve never seen Nehemiah 3:3–5 quoted in the first chapter of a leadership book* before! When I started mapping out this book* for the first time, I never imagined that the first three words from Scripture I would quote would be “The Fish Gate.” It’s easy for a passage like this, with its tongue-tangling names and hard-to-understand cultural context, to go right over our heads. But I love the themes these verses (and the entire chapter) high- light, and I believe we in our own culture can learn a lot from them.

The word next is used in two different ways throughout the chapter: to describe two people working alongside each other, and to describe a subsequent task. Both of these notions go hand in hand. In rebuilding the wall, it was necessary for people to work next to each other, tackling the task together, in order to move on to the next step in rebuilding the wall.

So what does this teach us leadership-wise? It tells us that a deep sense of togetherness—of relationships—is pivotal to moving forward in anything. As bestselling author and Storybrand founder Donald Miller once tweeted about experiencing meaning in life, “Let’s choose to do something really difficult, something that saves lives, and let’s do that thing with people we love.”

Lots of people in leadership positions are attempting to do something really difficult. But few have the servant-focused approach to save lives in some way, and few have the relational approach of doing it alongside people they love. Lots of coaches desire to win championships and are committed to moving forward at all costs; lots of bosses desire to turn profits and grow their companies. But accomplishing these goals next to others with a heart for servant-leadership and an others-focused disposition has largely been lost in our need (and lust) for results. Relationships have been neglected—on sports teams and in the workplace—in the frantic race to the top by those in leadership. The system is broken because people everywhere have their jerseys on backward, mistakenly thinking this life is all about them. As Rick Warren perfectly wrote in the first sentence of his bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life, “It’s not about you.” That maxim is the very foundation for true success. 

* This is an excerpt from “The Uniform of Leadership: Lessons on True Success from My ESPN Life” by Jason Romano

Jason Romano is the host and producer of the Sports Spectrum podcast where he interviews athletes, coaches, and other personalities on the intersection of sports and faith. Previously he was a Senior Producer at ESPN for 18 years.