“What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly . All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” (Mark 7:20b-23)

In Mark 7:22 Jesus concluded his list of deadly defiling sins with folly. Not referring to those of lesser intellect, this term rather describes moral folly, the person who chooses to play the fool. He is both thoughtless and reckless, inconsiderate of others while tossing around his ignorance to the detriment of everyone. Leadership is influence, pure and simple. What comes from one’s mouth leads for better or worse. Fools gush folly; the wise impart wisdom. As Solomon observed, even fools would appear wise if they just kept silent. This suggests a key starting point for a serving leader. Be slow to speak and quick to listen. Folly comes from the arrogant who blurt out what they know without considering what their audience needs to hear. How can you serve someone if you don’t take time to first understand the nature of the need or problem? Think before you speak. Like Jesus, start speaking by asking questions.

KEY QUESTIONS: When in the past did I speak up when I should have remained silent? When was I given an opportunity to share wisdom and remained silent out of fear or apathy? How might I first discover what my audience needs to hear? What are some good open-ended questions to ask an individual or group before sharing a concept or selling a product/service?