Lions are considered to be bold (Proverbs
28:1), brave, confident, dauntless, strong, calmly resolute in facing dangers,
and invulnerable to fear or intimidation.
The reason why is simple. They
APPEAR to be so.
Said to be the mightiest among
beasts (Proverbs 30:30), lions can teach us a lesson or two on the importance of
BODY LANGUAGE in leadership.
People judge by outward
appearance (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT) and your body language greatly impacts your
communication effectiveness, whether consciously or not. Your body language can
help or derail your efforts to influence people.
Three things lions have that you,
as a leader, can emulate:
1) Presence
The lion has a grand and regal
presence, oozing power, strength and confidence, appearing to have total
control over his body.
Rabbi Daniel Lapin in his book
Thou Shall Prosper (2008) describes the lion to be more economical in movement
than any other large animal.
“Even when exploding into action to pursue and kill its
quarry, the lion’s body seems to flow smoothly with no unnecessary movement.
You would have to be fortunate even to see a lion in motion. Most of the time
he will lie alert but almost motionless; only his open eyes and head
occasionally moving slowly from side to side.”
Application: Avoid constant
movement, only doing so as necessary.
2) Posture
The lion’s mane – the hairy
toppers, is not a shield for fighting but it proclaims a male's fighting
ability and overall fitness. It also helps make the lion appear larger.
In addition, lions are lean. They
don’t carry fat.
Application: Proper grooming, clothing
and fitness are important in leadership.
3) Power
Lions are alert and prepared -
but not muscle bound or aggressive. But when they roar, it strikes fear into
some animals, making them freeze in terror. Lions have the loudest roar of any
big cat – one that can be heard from a distance of 8 kilometers.
Application:
This one isn’t about body language anymore as much as it is about the internal
message you tell yourself – your inner strength and the very source of your
outward confidence. Like the lion’s growl, what you roar about is what’s going
to influence people, piercing their hearts and transforming their lives in the
process. It’s the most powerful message - one that you shouldn’t be ashamed of.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because
it is the POWER of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..
(Romans 1:16)
This is where I base my confidence. How about you?
Where do you get yours?
