How to Build Influence

On the Leader Fluent Podcast, we’re in a series on my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life and leadership. The book is now available, and on this episode, you’ll get a taste of my chapter on, “How to Build Influence.” Be sure to order Insanely Practical Leadership today and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

SHOW NOTES:

Each year TIME Magazine publishes its list of the 100 most influential people. The list includes artists, icons, pioneers, leaders, athletes, and actors. Interestingly, some people on the list are here today and gone tomorrow. And I must admit, I’ve never even heard of some of these list-making influencers.

So, what about you? If you assembled a list of the most influential people in history, who would make your top 100? I’d no doubt recognize some of the names, while others would probably be obscure to the world but deeply impactful to you. 

Well, one of my top 100 would be the Apostle Paul. Outside of Jesus, Paul was arguably the most influential person in the New Testament. Paul, also known as Saul, brought the Gospel to the Gentiles, Jews, and kings. And not only did he preach the Gospel, but he also performed miracles, equipped leaders, and planted at least 14 churches. And, of course, Paul wrote nearly a third of the New Testament. Without question, his influence is substantial and significant. 

So, where did it begin? Well, if you dissect Paul’s life, you discover five ingredients to build God-honoring influence. 

1. Personal Calling 

Saul had a transformational encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. And when the Lord told Ananias to go and pray for Saul, the Lord said, “Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.” 

So, Paul encountered two callings: the call to follow Jesus, and the call to preach the Gospel. Those two callings were the catalyst for Paul’s influence. Well, you too have a personal calling. First, you’re called to follow Jesus, and second, Jesus has a unique calling for you to fulfill—a calling that deploys your gifts, abilities, skills, and passions to make a meaningful difference. 

So, that raises an obvious question: what does personal calling have to do with influence? Your calling is the internal driver that defines the external arena where your influence will come to life. When your calling is clear, it will reveal where you’re most likely to have influence and make the greatest difference. 

2. Trustworthy Character

In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” His character was trustworthy. So, how does character build your influence? 

First, trustworthy character enlarges the width of your influence. Character enables you to influence more people because it gives them a reason to trust you.  Next, trustworthy character increases the depth of your influence. The more trustworthy you are, the more people will allow you to influence them at the deepest levels. And finally, trustworthy character supports the weight of your influence. You see, leadership becomes heavier and harder as your responsibilities become bigger and broader.  

3. Inspiring Vision 

What’s the difference between inspiring vision and personal calling? Your vision flows out of your calling and engages the people around you. That’s what happened for Paul. He was called to preach the Gospel, but that calling became an inspiring vision when he partnered with others to see the vision fulfilled. 

4. Proven Competence 

It’s one thing to have an inspiring vision, but it’s quite another to turn that vision into reality. This is where your competence plays a critical role. 

Paul’s competencies included things like communicating, tentmaking, church planting, mentoring, and writing. And in His wisdom and sovereignty, God used each of Paul’s competencies to expand the influence of the Gospel and take new territory for the cause of Christ. 

The same will be true f