Tag: Influence

Words and Influence…

One of the great principles of leadership, simple and overused, involves the nature of our influence. Jesus said we are the “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” (Mt. 5:13-16).

Throughout the letters written to specific individuals and the various churches of God’s people, the word salt is used twice (Col. 4:6; Jas. 3:12). In both the use of salt is connected to the tongue.

Words spoken carelessly and without thought can destroy our influence and once destroyed it is difficult, if not impossible, to regain.

The precedent of our words establish a leadership influence worthy of following.

Potentially Powerful…

What value does potential have in your life? Potentially, a great deal. However, every person on the planet has potential.

In a recent article by Rory Vaden, Rory talks about how potential is meaningless if we do not take steps to act in ways that fulfill that potential.

Every person has the potential to lead, but our potential means little if we don’t take necessary steps to become that person of influence.

Reflect on your potential, then consider how you can get to work on achieving that potential and become the leader the Lord desires in you.

Words of Kindness…

The value of speaking with kindness benefits every level of a leader’s influence. When a word is spoken with kindness several results occur.

The desire to benefit the person is demonstrated.

The value or worth of the individual is elevated.

The fruit of the Spirit testifies to being more Christlike.

The goal of unity is exemplified by serving one another.

The outreach to the world is built on a foundation of love.

Kindness requires us to get our personal agendas, preconceived ideas, desires, and motivations out of the way so our light can be displayed and God glorified.

Ability vs Character…

John Wooden once said, “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”

We have all seen people with great ability, college and professional athletes, musicians, and others in the entertainment field. However, ability does not equal character.

Without character, regardless of the ability, it is impossible to have lasting leadership.

Nothing is more significant for spiritual leaders than humility. When spiritual influence is guided by a humble spirit, character naturally follows. When combined with ability, we find the staying power of Christlike leadership.

Positive Leadership…

Is it possible in our culture to avoid negativity? No! We cannot completely avoid negativity. Sadly, we are surrounded by it. We often face so much negativity it becomes difficult to see anything positive.

What can we do to limit negativity’s influence?

Why not begin at God’s throne and seek guidance in overcoming the issue.
A good dose of optimism from friends is another place to help.
Limiting social media is a positive direction.
Commit to saying at least five positive things every day.

These few steps will move us in a positive direction.

Life-changing Perspective…

Events experienced in life can be categorized as good or bad. It’s all about perspective, and perspectives vary from one individual to another.

Robert Tew said, “It doesn’t matter what happens to you. What matters is, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to complain and shrink or are you going to step into your greatness?”

One choice seems easy enough, complain and shrink. This choice, however, hinders our influence and character development.

Stepping into greatness motivates us to see beyond the present circumstance and consider the power of changing lives, including our own.

Modeling Leadership…

Few words are more familiar than Ruth’s expression of faithfulness to her mother-in-law, Naomi, “Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God.”

The spiritual influence developed within the home is powerful. Sadly, many homes have forsaken the opportunity to influence their children with a godly foundation.

Home is where parents have an opportunity to provide refuge and focus on the presence of God, where they model the example of Christ, and where children learn the meaning of submission.

Where we go, our children will go. Children should be led to conclude, “…and your God, my God.”

Developing Others to Lead…

Managers within the Chipotle food chain are promoted on the bases of how they develop leaders among their employees.

Instead of being consumed with the fear of being out-performed, shown-up, or otherwise replaced, imagine the growth of the church where leaders constantly develop others to lead.

Imagine what would happen within the church.

Jesus demonstrated this in developing the apostles for the task of evangelizing the world.

Paul instructed older men to set an example of a godly life and older women to teach younger women matters of the home.

We influence others everyday. Let us mentor them to lead.

Qualified Leaders…

When someone is qualified, they are recognized as someone trained to perform a specific job or task. A level of competency is associated with this recognition.

The Bible speaks about qualities all Christians should strive to achieve. We may not achieve all of them, but we can still lead others.

Leadership is about influence. We strive to influence others for the cause of Christ. As a Christian, our qualification to lead others is built on the blood of Jesus.

The stronger our faith becomes, the more our confidence grows, and the greater our influence. This type of leadership is needed in the kingdom.

Mentoring Leaders…

Information about mentoring is unlimited. Several approaches to mentoring indicate a number of options available for consideration.

Mentoring involves an experienced and trusted advisor who trains and counsels someone else. The mentoring relationship may extend any where from a few days to a few years depending on the nature and purpose of the relationship.

As a spiritual influence in the lives of others, we want to mentor others to maturity in their faith.

A great place to start is to pray about someone who can be a mentor and pray for someone you can mentor. Then watch God do the rest.