Pull the string, and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere at all. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
This is such a simple, yet profound truth. Have you ever tried laying a piece of string out on a table to test this? Place the tip of your finger on one end of the string, if you try to push it, the string simply starts curling and bundling up in a pile. But when you pull (lead) the string it naturally stays in line and follows.
With this simple truth General Eisenhower was saying if we wish to be a leader we must be willing to take the first step and lead by example.
A friend told me that she understood this concept, but also felt it necessary to push her people as well.
Hmmm . . . before she starts start pushing people, I would ask these questions: Have you gone where you’re asking them to go? Have you done what you’re asking them to do? Have you sacrificed what you’re asking them to sacrifice? Do you represent what you expect to see in them?
This person would unequivocally answer yes. So the next question for this leader is can she expect others to follow her. One would think that they are smart enough to know that if they follow her and do what she has done, that they too will achieve and reach the pinnacle of their careers.
Will it take pushing, shoving, goading, forcing, cajoling, coaxing, sweet-talking, persuading and otherwise enticing too?
I’m an excellent dog trainer. When I first began training my dogs, if one did something wrong, I was quick to administer punishment; however I quickly learned that the secret to training dogs was using treats. Dogs can be trained much faster by offering treats for good behavior versus punishment for bad. It might sound demeaning to some, but nonetheless it has been my experience that people are pretty much the same.
Basically I believe that it is more effective to make someone WANT to do something rather than try to MAKE them do it. No matter your leadership style and/or whether you subscribe to my inclinations the important thing is for leaders to try their utmost to lead people in such a manner that they will want to be all they can be.
The Bible tells us to so let our light shine that others will see it and want what we have including the peace, love, and joy of Jesus Christ. We need to boldly preach the Gospel and disciple others to follow our leader Christ and reap the rewards right along with us. The fruit of our lives is one of the biggest motivators driving pre-believers. If we know peace, love, and joy and it is evident to the casual observer, then quite naturally they will want it too, because the majority of them don’t enjoy it in their own lives due to their estrangement from God.
In my opinion becoming impatient and pushing them to accept what we know to be true will get us nowhere, except frustrated. We should lead by example and try our utmost to motivate others to follow, but in the end we must realize that in business and life not everyone is going to make it to the winner’s circle. The same is true concerning forging a relationship with Christ, in fact the Bible states: “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way”.
People have a free will and some choose darkness over light. Leading them out of the darkness can be accomplished; I don’t know about pushing them out of it . . .
John 1:5
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
June 15, 2016 – Click here to listen