Today in our Inspired Leadership Minute I want us to look at Proverbs 16:23: The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
This proverb is very similar to Proverbs 16:21 that we discussed two weeks ago. The repetition of the instruction underscores its importance to us.
A wise man ensures that all his speech is judicious and that makes his speech more persuasive. What does it mean to be judicious? Judicious means to be prudent, wise, sensible, to exercise good judgement. So a man whose speech is judicious will select their words in such a way that they will be more persuasive.
What is the lesson for us as leaders today?
A wise leader knows the importance of controlling their tongue in a discerning manner. They know what to say and more important, they know what to leave unsaid!
What you say is a reflection of your heart. The wise leader speaks from a wise and loving heart. The result is their speech is more persuasive than the fool who cannot control his speech.
Please leave me a comment and let me know how this week’s Inspired Leadership Minute inspired you!
When I was younger I was quick to speak my mind. Age, maturity and (hopefully) wisdom have tempered that. I now use diplomacy and also listen more. As the saying goes: “God gave us two ears but only one mouth, that we would listen twice as much as we speak!”
John,
I was the same was when I was younger. Something about gaining wisdom through the lessons of experience that made the difference for me.