Regardless of your religious beliefs, there’s something we can take away from Easter and apply to leadership. It’s a story of mercy and grace in restoring relationships. But what exactly is mercy and grace?

While these two words get used quite frequently, especially in religious environments, we don’t always think about what they actually mean.

Mercy is…

When we show someone mercy we do not give that person something they do deserve. For example, if I were caught speeding through a school zone, I would deserve a citation. If the police officer only gave me a verbal warning, he would be showing me mercy. He did not give me what I deserved.

“ When we show someone mercy we do not give that person something they do deserve.

Grace is…

When we show someone grace, we give a person something they don’t deserve. For example, that speeding incident could have turned into a ticket and a day in court. If the judge looked down from her bench and said to me, “Your speeding fine is $400, but I’m going to write a check to pay for it myself.” she would be showing me grace. I received something I didn’t deserve.

“ When we show someone grace, we give a person something they don’t deserve.

I hope you have a week full of mercy and grace.

Happy Easter,

Russ

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Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.