The Difference Between Convictions and Commitment

My parents were raised in rural farming families from central Kansas. They were also missionaries in Africa. They approached mission work like a farmer; do your best work, build strong relationships, be a good steward of your resources, help your neighbor, and live by example.

My parents showed me the difference between conviction and commitment, a critical leadership skill for building trust, gaining positive influence, and making a positive difference in the world.

Conviction vs. Commitment

• Conviction is what you believe, commitment is how you live it out.
• You can give lip service to convictions, but commitment requires walking the talk.
• If you push your convictions, people tune out. But if you show commitment to your beliefs, people take notice.
• Convictions can be written on a piece of paper or posted on social media. Commitment only shows through behavior.
• Conviction can easily morph into self-righteous justification. Commitment focuses on personal accountability for behavior.
• Convictions are easily used as a weapon to judge others. Commitment is used to build relationships and trust.
• Convictions are built from past experiences and influences. Commitment is about what you do today, tomorrow, and into the future.
• Conviction alone doesn’t build integrity. Adding commitment builds integrity.

My parents held deep, strong convictions that didn’t need to be pushed on others. That’s because they focused on commitment; living out their convictions in everyday relationships. Their role-modeling drew notice from others who were curious about what was behind this way of living. This integrity opened doors for my parents to share their convictions with others only when they were open, curious, and receptive. The positive impact was exponentially greater that way. They chose effectiveness over self-justification and self-righteousness.

The same is true in leadership. Knowing your principles, beliefs, and standards is step one. Living them out in relationships by role-modeling is the next step. Focusing on sharing, preaching, and pushing convictions reduces trust and engagement. Committing to convictions builds trust and engagement. What kind of leader do you want to be?

Compassionate Accountability® is the practice of demonstrating that people are valuable, capable, and responsible in every interaction. We teach a mindset, skillset, and interaction template to have healthy conversations, even during conflict. Contact us today to explore certification for yourself or your company so you can bring these tools to your employees and clients.

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