The Law of Magnetism Part 1

Joshua Says Good-Bye-Joshua 23:1-24:28

Joshua’s farewell speech urged Israel to stay passionately committed to God. Joshua reminded the people of God’s faithfulness, warned them against disobedience and concluded, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). Everyone followed Joshua’s convictions during his lifetime, for he made them both attractive and magnetic.

Elijah and Elisha-2 Kings 2:1-15

Effective leaders are always on the lookout for good people. Each of us carries around a mental list of what kind of people we would like in our organization. Believe it or not, whom you get is not determined by what you want, but by who you are. In most situations, you draw people who possess the same qualities you do.

It is possible for a leader to go out and recruit people unlike himself, but it’s crucial to recognize that people who are different will not naturally be attracted to him. Their quality does not depend on a hiring process, a human resources department, or even what you consider to be the quality of your area’s applicant pool. It depends on you. If you think the people you attract could be better, then it’s time for you to improve yourself.

What enabled Elijah to draw like-minded people to his side? The answer is found in the Law of Magnetism. Who you are is who you attract.

1. Every leader has a measure of magnetism. All leaders attract others. Highly charismatic leaders often attract large numbers of followers, but even modest leaders gain a following. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be leaders, would they?
2. A leader’s magnetism may impact others intellectually, emotionally, or volitionally. Not all leaders affect people in the same way, nor do they use the same means of influence. The greatest leaders connect on multiple levels: with followers’ minds, hearts, and wills.

Elijah’s magnetism affected others on every level. When he defeated the false prophets of Baal, he connected with the people first by calling down fire from heaven so even confirmed skeptics saw the reality of God. But that alone was not enough. To give his message more emotional impact, Elijah drenched his sacrifice in gallons of water. When God’s fire licked up the sacrifice, water and all, the people declared “The LORD, He is God!” (1 Kings. 18:39). And the prophet connected on a volitional level when he cried, “Seize the prophets of Baal!” (18:40) and the people obeyed.

3. Magnetism is neither good nor bad in itself—it depends on what a leader does with it. Charismatic leaders come in all shapes and sizes. There are Adolf Hitlers and Mother Teresas, Ahabs and Elijahs. Magnetism is like money; it’s a useful tool, neither good nor bad in itself. Elijah used his ability to attract like-minded people in order to fulfill his mission and extend his influence.
4. Secure leaders draw both similar and complementary followers. All leaders tend to attract people similar to themselves in values, age, attitude, etc. Elijah’s leadership attracted people who loved God and who were gifted in prophecy. But secure leaders—ones who acknowledge and accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths—also attract people with complementary abilities.
5. A leader’s magnetism never remains static. A leader can cultivate, shape, and mature his magnetism. Before Elijah drew crowds, he labored in obscurity, helping a widow and her son. God provided him with time to cultivate a vision for his life, to make his purpose clear, and to give him confidence. All those things increased his level of magnetism.

Join me next time for The Law of Magnetism Part 2