On Influence

Bulls do not belong in a china shop!  Can you just imagine the disaster and damage that would occur?  I love looking for unusual gifts in stores.  When I shop I often wear a backpack.  I am so cautious knowing that a quick turn here or there could topple some items off the shelves.  A bull left alone in a china shop is a whole different story.  If you want to be a good leader in your church then you must not be like a bull in a china shop.

You might wonder, what does leadership have to do with being a bull in a china shop?  It has to do with influence.  Let me explain.  To be truly effective – in good times and in challenging times – leaders must master the ability to influence others. Good leaders lead followers.  If as a leader you have no followers, then you are not leading.  You are simply taking a walk.  Effective leaders excel at motivating other people to do what they are asked to do.  This is true for all leaders in every aspect of life.  In the home.  At the workplace.  In politics.  And also in the church.  The apostle Paul recognised the importance of influencing others.   He writes to the church in Philippi:  “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” (Philippians 3:17)  He tells the church in Corinth:  "I urge you to imitate me." (1 Corinthians 4:16)  Our Lord Jesus told us that "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:59)  Throughout history Jesus' influence on others was evidenced by the billions of people who have followed him, and for countless many, even if it meant they would literally take up their cross and face death as a follower of Jesus.

So what does influence look like, especially as a pastor, or serving in some other leadership role in the church?  Leading a team.  Leading a ministry.   Leading a small group.  Leading a committee.   It begins with what I call Ministry IQ.   In the world of business they might call this Organizational IQ (or Intelligence).  Ministry IQ has to do with not just knowing what you do as a church, but also knowing the people you do ministry with.   If you want to be an influencer of people, then you need to get to know them.

Some leaders engage an organisation like a bull in a china shop.   They simply tell people in their organisation what they should be doing.  Pastors dictate to their church members how they should live their lives.  What they should do.  How they should spend their time, their talents, and their treasures.  This is a top-down approach to leadership.  Such leaders are often driven people and they lead by driving others.  But such leaders often wonder why so few people follow their lead.

There is another way to lead rather than leading from top down.   You lead from the bottom up.   You lead by getting to know the people you are serving.  In the Bible we are told: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak ….” (James 1:10)   Leaders with Ministry IQ follow this piece of wisdom.  They make it a priority to get to know the people they are serving.  They mingle among people strategically.  They pay close attention to nonverbal cues, practicing active listening, considering how others might be feeling. 

In the last church I served I wanted to be a person of influence.  I knew that if I was going to influence people for the better I needed to do more than preach effectively from the pulpit.  I needed to listen to the people I was serving.  Those in church leadership as elders and deacons.   The church members.   All of them, from the oldest to the youngest.   I needed to listen before I could effectively speak into their lives.   This meant doing lots of visits to people's homes, their workplaces, and their schools.  To spend time with people with no other agenda than getting to know them.  My goal was to be a good pastor, and I took my cue from Jesus who said, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." (John 10:14)  I made it my goal to know the people of my church and for them to get to know me.  I met regularly one-to-one with all the key leaders in the church.  Again, with no other agenda than for me to get to know them, and for them to get to know who I was.   

Do you want to be a person of influence, a leader with the ability to influence others?   Then get to know the people you serve, the members and those who lead with you in the church.   Never come across as “trying too hard” to get people to accept what you have say.  Do not be like a bull in a china shop.  Be quick to listen and be slow to speak and you will be well on your way to becoming a person of influence.