The Conviction to Lead

I haven’t read books on leadership for a while. They usually talk about the same thing. Albert Mohler’s book, The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2012), is not so different either. But he approaches the topic from a convictional perspective: Christian beliefs. That makes the book a bit different then.

Leaders must lead with deep and passionate beliefs. “Put simply, a conviction is a belief of which we are thoroughly convinced. I don’t mean that we are merely persuaded that something is true, but rather that we are convinced this truth is essential and life-changing. We live out of this truth and are willing to die for it” (p. 22). Paul said, “Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1 Thess. 1:5). Accompanied by the power of the Spirit, Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to the church of God in Thessalonica with full conviction.

The Spirit persuades us to respond to the gospel; we are also persuaded by a messenger who preaches the preached word with full conviction. Nowadays, we often hear no conviction in pulpit. What we hear is god-talk. God-talk is external to what we say and do; however, conviction is inherent in our words and deeds. We lead and speak with conviction. “Without conviction, nothing really matters, and nothing of significance is passed on. I believe that leadership is all about putting the right beliefs into action, and knowing, on the basis of convictions, what those right beliefs and actions are” (p. 26).

Without conviction, we are like those who talk and act like “a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).