Building Influence

Often times I find myself wanting people to look to me as a source of credibility. I want my words to have weight. I want them to be held in high regard. I want others to think I'm a leader. I want. I want. I want. But therein lies the problem.

Today so many people are lauding their authority and posting daily nuggets on why you should trust their leadership. It's always backed by "5 Reasons Why" or some "unbiased research" they've conducted, but maybe they're missing the most critical element of them all––putting others first. A sincere desire to help others, free from hidden motives to expand their platform.

So like I said I want to influence, however, that is a self-righteous desire much like these self-declared authorities. But it seems in history people like Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer who sincerely wanted better for others rather than self, built monuments of influence. And they weren't constantly bidding for people to listen, people were simply listening. But why?

I think there's another element compounding with the sincere desire to help others.

Consistent character. They were the same person with their families, as they were with friends, as they were at work, as they were at church. And if they were alive today their online presence would match too. There was no compartmentalizing or fragmenting in their lives––they were integrated through and through. From faith to career to mission to personal life to relationships it was all the same person going the same direction.

With both the sincere desire to help others and consistent character, then you have laid the beginnings of a foundation to influence. Only then. Now I believe I have the right heart-set to go to others as a source of help. Keyword go. Not stay and scream "Hey you! Yeah you. You should definitely listen to me" only to get another follower or brand ambassador. I'm called to go and meet people as they were, which is much different from hoping to intersect their social media feeds (but happy you're here).

Jesus clearly believes in the power of going too. Read His words in Matthew 28:18-20. "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Did you catch that? Jesus said go. Not stay. And today you must go both digitally and physically, with the latter holding much more importance.

He didn't sit in the temple and tell the disciples to go bring everyone to Him. He went. He went out into communities, both ones longing for Him and ones who despised Him. Once Jesus intervened in their lives, then they followed Him (literally, not just clicking a button).

So my call to you is to make sure you have all three of these ingredients in your mix if you are trying to influence in any capacity. Have a sincere desire for other's success, consistent character, and go. Don't wait for those who you are eager to come to you, it's your job to go to them both physically and digitally.