Clout : Tapping Spiritual Wisdom to Become a Person of Influence

We all want to be able to influence others, to have our voices counted in decisionmaking, and to make a contribution to our organization or community. Most books on this subject focus on personal power for personal ends- self-help approaches that show readers how to get what they want for themselves. But influence can be much more- a live force that is vital to the positive and productive functioning of organizations, communities, and relationships. In Clout Stephen R. Graves and Thomas G. Addington take an entirely new and fresh approach to the subject of influence, incorporating biblical wisdom and stories of exemplary people who have wielded influence with integrity and authenticity. Using classical analytical tools to examine the components of influence, the authors look at an array of historical and biblical models of both positive and negative influence, including Mother Teresa, Adam Smith, Jesus, St. Patrick, Malcolm Muggeridge, and even Rasputin. They analyze what drives this force in our personal and business lives and relationships and show readers how they too can become people of great influence and thereby have a message that is meaningful, an audience that is receptive, and a life that is believable.

Stephen R. Graves and Thomas G. Addington have been business partners for over a decade. For the last twelve years, they have been exploring how to blend business excellence with biblical wisdom through consulting, teaching, mentoring, and writing. This mission statement, originally scratched out on a breakfast napkin early one morning twelve years ago, has been their "'never lost" system as they have journeyed through a variety of entrepreneurial endeavors and experiments. They founded Cornerstone Group Consulting and the Life@Work journal, they speak regularly in business, ministry, and academic settings, they publish frequently, serve on national boards, and they are active in coaching leaders toward the finish line. Both hold a doctorate, both are deeply devoted to their families, and both love the never-ending challenge of meshing real life with the message of Jesus. They are the authors of Life@Work on Leadership and Behind the Bottom Line, both from Jossey-Bass.