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We've
just come through a tumultuous political season. As these words are written, we
don't who will be our next President. (Perhaps as you read the words days later
we still don't know!) One
thing I do know is that most of us have had our fill of political advertising.
Particularly if you live in a "battleground" state, you've been inundated
with wall-to-wall TV and radio spots, direct mail, yard signs and more, all proclaiming
the glories of one candidate and the dangers of the other. It seems that in today's
society, the path to glory is paved with noise. So
the advice found in Proverbs 17:27-28 may seem a bit counter-intuitive: "The
intelligent person restrains his words,
and one who keeps a cool head is a
man of understanding.
Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent,
discerning, when he seals his lips."
Good
leaders, however, know that sometimes silence is the best strategy. How many politicians
in the recent campaign season would have been better off if they had paused to
think before opening their mouths to spout off? Likewise, you and I can think
of times when we would have been better off if we had stayed quiet and listened,
rather than immediately reacted to what we heard (or thought we heard). There's
an old adage that God gave us two ears and only one mouth, implying that we should
listen twice as much as we speak. As leaders, we know there are times we must
speak — but we also know that those are not the times we are learning. A
leader who listens is rarely surprised, but is usually prepared. __________ Michael
Duduit is President/CEO of American Ministry Resources LLC, and editor of LeaderLinks.
You can contact him at michael@leaderlinks.com or visit his website at www.michaelduduit.com | 