John Stanko

"I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong" - Galatians 4:12.

Paul had a special relationship with all the churches he founded and that gave him some measure of authority in their lives. Yet he was always careful not to overstep that authority, but rather spent a great deal of time and energy appealing, even pleading with them (but seldom ordering them) to adhere to the standard of behavior he expected from them as believers. Effective leaders do the same thing, for they know that if they order someone to do something, they may get compliance for a while, but the people ordered will revert to old behaviors eventually and true change and transformation will not occur once the leader's authority is removed. That means leaders must communicate a vivid picture of the benefits or necessity of the issue for which they are advocating so people will comply willingly.

LEADERSHIP STEP: If you're not going to resort to power to get people to do what's best, then you must develop the skill of passionate persuasion to get the job done. Your Step today is to examine the tools you use for persuasion—speech, writing, media, meetings—and the effectiveness of the relationships you have with your followers that enable you to produce the results and changes that will render your people and company better off in the long run.