7 CLOUT KILLERS AND HOW TO DEFEAT THEM

 I like the word “clout.” Say it out loud. How does it sound?

Powerful, right?

It instantly conjures up the image of someone who is influential.

That’s why I like Jenni Catron’s book, “Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence.”

For the nine years Catron worked in the music business she had a front row seat to the dreamers. It took a crisis of purpose to force her to recognize the shaky foundation upon which she had built all of her own dreams. She had been driven by forces that lulled her into believing she had power that she never had.

Catron writes about the fears that can kill clout and the ways in which faith can build a godly kind of clout.

Clout is “the influence God has given to YOU and to no one else.”

7 Clout Killers and How to Defeat Them

1. FEAR “Fear can paralyze us from moving forward. We fear chaos so our constant need for control causes us to slow things down while we try to get a handle on it.”

* We can move forward despite our fear. That’s growth. Fear is like a series of hurdles that must be overcome one at a time.

2. COMPARISON “Comparison doesn’t look dangerous and can propel us forward, temporarily. The ‘fear of not measuring up’ will eventually be our undoing. Comparison will distract, discourage and de-motivate you.”

* The replacement for comparison is to focus on the work you’ve been given. Re-focus from what you don’t have to what God has called you to do.

3. JEALOUSY “Jealousy is the irrational fear of losing something or someone valuable to you. Jealousy will keep you on a perpetual quest for the attention, affection and affirmation of others. Leadership is about relationships and jealousy kills relationship.”

* The antidote to jealousy is to replace it with affirmation and celebration of the influence of others.

4. SCARCITY “Scarcity teaches you to hoard, protect and defend; to play it safe, minimize risk and be skeptical. It will rob you of a generous heart.”

* The way to overcome scarcity is with generosity. Generous leaders are contagious. Generosity multiplies clout.

5. INSECURITY  “Insecurity is sparked by fear and antagonized by doubt. Insecurity turns our co-workers into threats and us into posers.”

*When you are tempted to feel insecure look for something you can do for someone else. Interrupt your inner dialogue and make someone else feel special.

 6. PRIDE “Pride is like a façade on the exterior of our souls.  Pride fools us and others into believing we’ve got it all together. We become unrecognizable to ourselves.”

* Humility is the antidote to pride. Humility will allow you to surround yourself with people smarter than you. Humility embraces community for the value of collective wisdom.

 7. CONTROL “Control is the need for power. Control freaks grasp for power. “

* Replace control with trust and faith. Create a culture where peace and patience predominate.

 I was given a free copy of the book “Clout” to review from BookLook. 

APPLICATION: Which Clout killer will you defeat today? Please leave a comment below.

I write to inspire people to be real, grow an authentic faith in Jesus, enjoy healthy relationships and discover their life purpose. If this material is helpful to you, please follow me.

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