PULL THEM! DON’T PUSH THEM
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Today’s readings
Titus 2:1-14; Ps 37:3-29; Luke 17:7-10
Dear reader, are you a leader? If you have the
power to influence the people surely you are a leader. If you pull the people
behind you, you are a leader. Good leaders pull the people. Bad leaders push
them. General Eisenhower would demonstrate the art of leadership with a simple
piece of string. He would put it on a table and say: “Pull it and it will
follow wherever you wish. Push it and it will go nowhere at all. It’s just that
way when it comes to leading people. They need to follow a person who is
leading by example.” In today’s first reading St. Paul gives us the qualities
of a leader who can pull the people: temperance, respectability, seriousness,
preparedness, sensibility, trust, God-fearing, loving, courage and patience
(Titus 2:1-6). A leader with these qualities will have the power to influence
the people. With this power a leader is a crowd puller. The pulling part is
done through a good example. “Example is not the main thing in influencing
others. It is the only thing,” said Albert Schweitzer. The pulling part is done
through encouragement. Dale Carnegie put it nicely, “If you want to change
people without giving offence or arousing resentment, use encouragement.”
Prayer,
God our father, make
me capable of touching hearts through being goodhearted, let me win the hearts
for you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
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