And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. (1 Samuel 3:19 ESV)
I've been reading and re-reading John Maxwell's book - "The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership." I had read it many years ago but have recently began to read and study its principles at a deeper level as I am trying to raise the bar of my leadership abilities. The first chapter is called "The Law Of The Lid" which challenges the reader to raise his/her level of leadership skills - meaning that none of us have arrived and we all still have room for growth. The second law is "The Law Of Influence" - which asks the question of our level of influence to those that are around us. Basically, it's premise is this - if you are a leader - turn around and see if anyone is following.
One of the persons of great influence in the Bible was a man named Samuel. He lived during a time and season of great rebellion and sin in Israel from the leaders on down. In the midst of this ungodliness - God put a call on Samuel to lead people through some very difficult times. He had such a great influence and The Lord was with him so much that "none of his words (fell) to the ground." THINK ABOUT THAT - people took what he said seriously - whether good or bad. His words carried great weight that none of them fell to the ground!
It's interesting, in 1 Samuel 7, we see the actual influence of his leadership which was growing by the day. The people trusted him as a prophet and they were eventually delivered from the Philistines. The Ark of God had been returned to them and they enjoyed peace in the land. He became by far the most influential leader of that day.
But how did he gain such influence? What made everyone listen to him? There are three indispensable qualities that gained him the influence of the people:
1. Competence - God blessed Samuel with many gifts. He heard from The Lord, he could see the future unfold, and he wisely knew what to do in crisis. His abilities provided one reason why everyone listened to him.
2. Character - Unlike Eli, Samuel exuded integrity and honesty in every area of his life. People trusted him and knew that he had Israel's best interest in mind. They considered Samuel to be trustworthy and depended upon him to intercede for them with God.
3. Connection - Samuel knew how to connect with people; he spoke their language. he expressed compassion for their predicaments and brought courage to their pursuits. I've seen many leaders who were talented but didn't "connect" with people which is so important.
Fortunately for us, the formula for Samuel's success and influence still works today: Competence + Character + Connection = INFLUENCE.
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