Benjamin is an excellent example of a hands-on servant leader. One of the themes of the Book of Mormon is that righteous leaders labor with the people; they are not superior by nature to the people they serve. (This is why King Benjamin opens his speech with a reminder that he is prone to infirmities, just like his people, but has been chosen to serve them; see verse 11.) Because his people know him to be a model of integrity, they are inclined to listen to his long sermon, which includes some hard-hitting truths and numerous pleas for them to repent of their ways.