INFLUENCE

The power of persons or things to affect others, seen only in effects, is a great definition of influence because we all influence others. The purposeful power to produce positive effects without the exertion of force or authority is the wise use of influence. Consider all the people you know and the things you control, then determine if your influence is positive or negative. Does anyone rely on you for their physical, emotional, or spiritual health? Is your neighborhood, city or workplace better or worse because you are a part of it? You may read that you negatively affect the environment based on a carbon footprint, meaning the natural resources you consume. Rarely is there any discussion of what is produced and positively affects the environment with the natural resources you use. Perhaps you know someone that is so needy people avoid them because of the negative effect they have on those around them. Should you list everyone you know in two columns, one would be positive people and one would be negative people. Negative people have influence, but it is always negative influence. While they all influence others, more than likely you'd rather be around the positive group. The first step of having influence is to be positive. When Jesus walked the earth people were attracted to him and were delighted to be in His presence. In John 13:35, Jesus said "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another". Sometimes our English language doesn't have enough words to properly convey what was meant in the original text, and love is a word with multiple meanings. This use isn't eros, a romantic love, but a benevolent concern we can refer to as serving or ministering to.

One of the mysteries of human nature is the belief that it is important to point out to people what is wrong. It's as if we seem sure that if we don't tell them they won't ever know. Problems or bad habits different than ours are often at the top of the list. Just like in math class in school, the solution is all anyone is really looking for. In this election year most of the presidential candidates ran on platforms that included solutions for specific problems. Barack Obama took a slightly different approach that resonated with many people, especially young people. He didn't provide solutions, he just sold the idea that they could be found by people that care if they stay positive and don't lose hope. Many people think that leadership is identifying problems and obstacles that need to be overcome. While I don't support Barack Obama in any way I can see and appreciate the leadership influence he uses in convincing people they can be effective by being positive and working to make a difference. Joel O'Steen has broadened his influence far beyond the megachurch he pastors in Houston with a positive message. Another term for positive influence is encouragement. Encouragement is inspiring someone to continue on a chosen course, primarily by imparting confidence to embolden and support them, as I wrote about in the November 2007 edition of this blog. The second step of having influence is to be assertive. Unlike being aggressive which is an attack, assertive means to declare with assurance. Art Williams used to say nobody follows a dull, disillusioned, dadgum, crybaby. Influencers are persuasive about those things they care about. This reveals their passions and is often accomplished with a process called framing. Using key words to add desired context to any subject frames the perception of those you want to influence. As an example, the murder of babies is framed as a woman's right to choose what happens to her body by one side, and the horror of the immoral, extremely cruel and painful death of a human life, that God created for himself, is framed by the other side.

Successful influence goes beyond a positive attitude, encouragement, asserting your beliefs, and even advancing solutions to problems. The wisdom of influence is in the inspiration. My son, who is already wise at age 29 suggested I read a Dale Dauten book "Laughing Warriors". Dale says "Take helping and innovating together and you've tapped into the "chi" of expanding usefulness. The best bosses and the best employees, the best suppliers and the best customers are attracted to innovation, being in on the action, to the adventure of the different and the better". Achieving creative usefulness is a fancy way of saying your contribution matters. Understanding human nature is the third step of having influence. We are born with a need to be part of something bigger than ourselves. The Bible describes how humans really are, from the perspective of the Creator. When we hear that different isn't always better, but better is always different, we desire to be better (therefore different). Your positive influence comes from reinforcing the desire with specific actions. The first is to regularly express confidence that the person you are influencing can and will do it (whatever it is). The second action is to regularly specifically describe the better future (whatever it is) and the positive impact it will have. There are fakes in this process to be aware of. Oprah recently publicized "The Secret", which boils down to a concept that you attract positive things to yourself. People may be inspired by it for awhile, but they really want to focus on others, not themselves. They know selfishness is not a high achievement and ultimately feel guilty when they exercise it. James 3:17 says "wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy".

Staying positive and understanding human nature so you can call upon their admirable qualities works well, but requires continual and constant reinforcement. The fourth step in having influence is persistence. Critics hesitate to attack the positive uplifting message of high achievement, and the longer you persist the wider the audience that will listen. Writing books, giving talks, and now writing blogs are ways to expand the size of the group you desire to influence, but sending out those in the group to tell others about the message is where influence truly grows. The verses in John previously mentioned are part of the story of Jesus, who has influenced the world for thousands of years after starting with 12 followers. His followers, and I count myself as one, are out influencing the world around them. Blog entries for May of 2005 and May of 2006 both had the "Cliff Notes of Christianity", so if you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, check out those archives. If you are a Christian, you are in the process of being discipled. Discipling is a process of submitting to the perspective of your Creator about everything. The sin nature is the part of our nature that causes the focus on self and what is wrong. The action to be taken by our spiritual nature is to focus on others and what is right. Hence the saying, you are what you think about. The human nature mentioned earlier has two sides that have to be understood as good and evil. That understanding is available to all by the divinely inspired words recorded in the Bible, the Word of God. A great example is Philippians 4:8 that says "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise - dwell on these things."