Persuasion

Today's devotional is from The Leadership Walk: Devotions for Leaders of Today and Tomorrow

"Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?' Paul replied, 'Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains'" - Acts 26:28-29.

Paul was in chains, but he was still able to make a strong case that almost persuaded Agrippa to become a believer. On occasions, leaders issue orders. It's much more effective, however, if people buy in to the idea, decision, or concept. That requires that the leader paint a vivid picture of the need for or benefit of a new reality. To do that, the leader must have credibility, good communication skills, and understand the people with whom he or she is working. That requires work, which is why some leaders prefer to fall back on a command-and-control style of leadership—it takes less time and the leader is sure to gain compliance, at least temporarily.

LEADERSHIP STEP: The Bible has much to say about the tongue, especially the book of Proverbs. Your step today is to do a quick study of the words 'lips' and 'speech' in Proverbs. You can use the online program BibleGateway to conduct this search. Just put those words in the 'search' box and then print out the results. Take this list with you this week and study what it has to say about effective influence and speech.