5 Verbal Traits of a Leader

Let me preface this post by stating that these 5 verbal traits are awesome (pictured below), but I can't take credit for them. 

I was Blessed enough to sit in on a leadership training by a man named Greg Smith. Greg spoke over these 5 traits and I took diligent notes during his training. When I got home, I promptly created the picture below in order to ingrain this information in my mind.

My thoughts on the topic...

Our speech is so powerful and guides our life in the direction of the words we speak. Let's look to the Bible and see what James has to say about this...

"When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." -James 3:3-5

One of my favorite preachers/authors  +Joel Osteen often speaks on the topic of speech. Here is a good quote by Joel:

You can change your world by changing your words... Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue.
Joel Osteen 

As a human it's so easy to let our speech take us off the path we desire in life. It's a daily (maybe even minute by minute) practice to use our speech in a positive manner and not the negative. I highly believe in the power of the spoken word to create results either positive or negative. 

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit." -Proverbs 18:21

Take a look at the 5 verbal traits of a leader in the picture below. Think about your speech and how it influences your world and the world of those around you. Then make a decree today to follow these 5 verbal traits and use your speech in a positive manner. 

If you feel up to it, take the challenge put out there by best selling author Keith Cameron Smith. 

Here is the challenge: Go 10 days without complaining about anything. If you complain  even once, you must start over. This could be 8 minutes into the challenge or  8 days into the challenge. Complain= Start over.

I've been trying to complete this challenge longer than I'd like to admit. But, it's a worthy challenge and has helped me to monitor my speech toward the positive!