Influence can come, at times, from unexpected sources. Quiet influence, in fact, has a dramatic impact as expressed in Ecclesiastes 9.17. However, to be impactful, influence must be grounded in wisdom. Wisdom brings influence!
Quiet words of wisdom from a leader are more influential than yelling! Ecclesiastes 9.17 paraphrase
The Source of Influence
What’s the source of my greatest influence as a leader?
Is it my positional authority? Or, is it my track record of past successes? Perhaps, it’s my force of character. For some, influence stems from their wealth.
There is brief story in Ecclesiastes Chapter 9 that says influence stems from none of these!
What’s the answer? Well, keep reading!
The Power of Observation
The Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are filled with brief observations that state a fundamental precept. Often, those precepts are presented in the form of a contrast that is separated by the word “but.”
However, every once in a while we get a longer-form story that includes some dramatic insights. That’s the case in Ecclesiastes 9.13-18.
For better or worse, I like to think of Proverbs as observations from a young, energetic, and optimistic Solomon. He’s growing, learning, and sharing.
Conversely, I think of Ecclesiastes as observations from an older and wiser, and perhaps more cynical, Solomon.
I’m also older and more cynical. But I’m not sure about the wiser part!
The Power of Wisdom
This brief story in Ecclesiastes 9 reveals some of that later-life insights of Solomon. In fact, it points to the dramatic impact that wisdom can have on my influence as a leader.
Three times in this brief story Solomon uses the term wisdom.
First, he observes wisdom in action (ECCL 9.13).
Second, he realizes the impact of wisdom (ECCL 9.15).
Finally, he concludes the superiority of wisdom (ECCL 9.16).
Additionally, wisdom is a trait of the wise (ECCL 9.15 and 9.17). Thus, a wise person exhibits wisdom!
Wisdom brings influence!
Wisdom Defined
Since wisdom is so powerful, what is it? Solomon defines wisdom in Proverbs 2.6.
In simplest terms, wisdom is factual knowledge plus experiential insight.
Wisdom is everything I know. In addition, it’s all that factual knowledge combined with insights gained from various life experiences.
Most plainly, wisdom is what I know and what I can do with what I know.
I get wisdom by purposefully reflecting on life experiences. As a result, I build insight. Additionally, I get wisdom by simply asking! Hence, ask and receive. Thus, wisdom is a divine gift!
Wisdom brings influence!
The Story
Now, the story from Ecclesiastes Chapter 9.
A small city is surrounded by a large army. A “poor, wise man” found a way out. The outcome? Fame, fortune! Not!
In reality, no one remembered the poor man! Actually, no one remembered the king or the name of the town either!
How unfair is that? Well, that’s life! Get over it!
What wisdom did the poor man use to bail out the city? No one remembered that either!
Three Observations
Here’s what Solomon concluded from this incident.
First, wisdom is better than superior strength (ECCL 9.16). That said, without influence, which stems at least in part from a record of successes, nobody hears me or remembers me! “… the poor man’s wisdom is despised …”
Second, quiet words of wisdom from a leader are more influential than yelling (ECCL 9.17). Yelling at whom? The verse says yelling at the foolishly overconfident!
Why am I yelling as a leader? Impatience. Frustration. I’m convinced I am right and no one around me get’s it.
Who was yelling in this story? Very likely the town leaders who didn’t have an answer for the challenge that was literally surrounding them. Thus, panic sets in and yelling is the result.
Third, no matter how deep the wisdom, one careless word or action can undo lots of wisdom (ECCL 9.18). Thus, as superior as wisdom is, stupidity ultimately triumphs!
Ugh!
I think this third observation is an example of the older and more cynical Solomon!
Leadership Insight
Kings come and go. Like the poor man in the story, their names are forgotten.
Likewise, leaders come and go. Maybe you get a quickly-outdated picture on a wall somewhere. However, the reality is that our time as leaders is brief. Similarly, our opportunity for impact and influence is equally brief.
The attacking king in this story was, somehow, influenced by the wisdom of the poor man. No one remembers the logic used to influence the king.
The point of the story is the incredible power of wisdom to intervene when the odds are stacked against me as a leader and against my organization.
Why Are We Doing This?
Why did the attacking king decide to take this “little city” with “few men” and likely not much wealth? We don’t know.
Similarly, why does a leader go after a target, such as a merger or new product, when the rest of the leadership team sees little to be gained?
You can fill-in the blank on this one. Plausible answers include: poor planning, arrogance, lack of foresight, it worked the last time, it’s there so why not … The list goes on and on.
The outcome? Again, you can fill-in the blank. Three years later the value of the purchased assets are written down to fair market value creating a huge operating loss. What doesn’t go away is the debt that was taken on to finance the merger or acquisition.
Thus, being a king or a leader doesn’t insulate me from stupidity! Hence, the observation in Ecclesiastes 9.18 about much good being destroyed by a single dumb action!
In short, we shouldn’t forget the risk management principle: don’t risk a lot to gain a little!
What Can I Control?
Just prior to this story is an observation, in Ecclesiastes 9.11. I wrote a paraphrase of that verse immediately below.
The verse notes two uncontrollable factors. I don’t control time. Also, I don’t control chance occurrences. What’s worse, according to the next verse, “… man doesn’t know his time.”
As a leader in an organization I don’t control macro-economic trends that impact my industry and the entire economy. Leaders can forecast trends, then take steps to minimize those forces.
However, leaders don’t control economic cycles. Likewise, the rare black swan event is not predictable but it has a significant, downside impact.
Similarly, leaders don’t control chance occurrences such as accidents. Sometimes, you get blind-sided. Hence, insurance and rainy-day funds.
Most critically, as a person of faith, I don’t control God’s sovereign choices as He works in me and around me. It’s arrogant and thoughtless of me to believe otherwise.
Apply This Today!
Quiet influence is a significant asset for a leader.
Quiet influence is grounded in the precepts of wisdom.
Impactful leadership is grounded in a pattern of making sound decisions, then executing successfully on those decisions. With no pattern of success there is no influence!
Leaders must allow wisdom to guide how they approach the uncontrollable because it’s deadly to believe you know it all and control it all.
Ultimately, influence is a divine gift to me.
Therefore, wisdom brings influence!
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