W19D2 - Persuasion
May 12, 2014
"The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction" - Proverbs 16:23.
Persuasion is a key component of servant leadership, for coercion and manipulation to force compliance is not acceptable to those who have the best interests of others at heart. This simply means that leaders must work to discover ways to paint clear pictures of vivid and exciting new realities that allow people also to see and accept them on their own terms. Jesus was clear that the source for gracious, persuasive words was the heart and not the brain, for He said that the mouth speaks out of the abundance (or lack) of the heart. Leaders must therefore work on their heart to have what's called the moral authority to which will improve their ability to influence others.
LEADERSHIP STEP: If you are saying one thing and doing another, people see the inconsistency and it affects your ability as a leader to persuade them to change their own behavior. Therefore, today you must examine if you are modeling the very behavior, practice, or course you are attempting to persuade others to adopt. For example, are you tardy but urging others not to be? Are you urging others to pay attention to members or customers but ignoring them yourself? Spend some time in honest self reflection (or enlist the help of others) and correct areas that detract from your credibility.
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