Winning Others Over Post - Kerry Shook

Winning others over is the ability to meet and influence people and get them to like, follow, or obey you. We have too many leaders today who believe their positions mandate their influence, rather than their influence enabling them to be effective in their positions. They lead by a “my way or the highway” mindset that makes them more like dictators. As best-selling author and leadership expert John Maxwell says, “Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It’s about one life influencing another.”

The ability to lead by influence requires, among other things, strong communication skills. Throughout the Bible, we see example after example of Jesus’ effective communication style. Jesus, the Great Communicator, teaches us it’s not just what you say, but how you say it.

 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with His finger. They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.  John 8:4-9 (NLT) 

Jesus shared many of His teachings through parables, using the power of simple, familiar storylines to impart His message and instructions. Quite honestly, it is a good communicator who is able to take something complicated and make it simple and easy to follow. As Einstein once said, you don’t really understand something unless you can communicate it in a simple way. Good communicators also establish a personal connection by focusing on how their message may impact the other person. We see in the Bible that, every time Jesus healed a person, He spoke to them. He knew that people needed to hear His voice just as much as they needed healing.

When Jesus heard what had happened, He found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is He, sir? I want to believe in Him.” “You have seen Him,” Jesus said, “and He is speaking to you!”  “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.  John 9:35-38 (NLT)