Every leader wants conviction, the kind of conviction that moves a room and settles a decision. But conviction often gets confused with confidence (as if the only thing standing between you and a convictional life is being bolder).
Conviction is the intermingling of clarity and courage. Some leaders have clarity, knowing exactly what needs to happen, but lack the courage to take action. Some leaders have lots of courage and are willing to move, but lack clarity of direction. Clarity without courage is frustration. Courage without clarity is chaos.
Christian leaders have an unfair advantage when it comes to developing conviction. We can receive clarity from God, who promises to give wisdom generously, and we can lead with courage because the One who is within us is greater than the one in the world. Clarity, because our God is faithful and true, and we stand on His truth. Courage, because our identity is not found in the fulfillment of our goals or in our work but in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf.
Nehemiah was filled with both clarity and courage. When he stood before the king of Persia, he was able to articulate with incredible clarity the source of his burden for Jerusalem, the request to go there, the timeline, and the resources required. He was also filled with courage. When the king asked why he looked so sad, Nehemiah knew in that moment he could have been killed. “I was terrified, but…” But he kept going. His clarity would have been useless without his courage. The combination bore the fruit of conviction.
You need both roots of clarity and courage to get to the fruit of conviction. And as a Christian, you already have access to both. In my new book, The Rooted Leader, there is a whole chapter designed to help you develop convictional leadership based on the intermingling roots of clarity and courage.
