I am working on a class that I want to teach regarding the influence a leader has. I want to follow-up on Paul’s suggestion to Timothy in First Timothy 4:12 that he be “an example of the believer”.
Paul was saying, “show people what a believer looks like, how he acts and how he responds. In fact, encourage people to be like you!”
Leaders are believers. They believe in what they are doing. They believe in the purpose of their work. They believe and that is why they are doing it.
I wonder if leaders realize how much influence they really have. Do they know how much they are watched, listened to and copied?
Every leader leaves a legacy. Some leave greater assets, others leave a mess. The imprint left in other lives endures.
There is influence in just being there. There is influence from suggestions or ideas. Influence can be formal or informal, planned or unplanned, direct or indirect.
I am going to use this chart, with 12 good and 12 bad qualities. I thought I may try it out on you:
GOOD LEADERS BAD LEADERS
Sense of gratitude Sense of entitlement
Compliment Criticism
Forgive others Hold a grudge
Give others credit Take all the credit
Read everyday Watch TV everyday
Accept responsibility Blame others
Embrace change Fear change
Talk about ideas Talk about people
Share information Hoard information
Lives with joy Lives with anger
Sets and keeps goals Operates from the seat of pants
Always learning Thinks they know it all
“Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” Napoleon Hill
Dr. Ron Cline helps build the body of Christ around the world. His background as a pastor, educator, counselor, missionary and author gives him credibility and rapport with the many groups and individuals he and his wife, Barbara, minister to in various countries each year. After 7 years of pastoral ministry in Southern California, and ten years as the Dean at Azusa Pacific University, the Clines’ international service began in 1976 as a short-term opportunity when he agreed to pastor the English Fellowship Church in Quito, Ecuador for two years. Those two years stretched into six years. Following that he served as the president of HCJB World Radio, also in Ecuador, for 20 years. HCJB Global, now Reach Beyond, has media, health care, community and/or leadership development ministries in Latin America, Europe, Russia, North Africa/Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia Pacific. Ron and Barb currently serve as Global Ambassadors with Reach Beyond and live in Southern California after living 30 years abroad. They travel from Southern California throughout the world. For the last ten years they have been encouraging, coaching and working with leaders in Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, Mongolia, India, Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Solomon Islands, Western Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji, America Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Central Asia, USA, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Ecuador, Russia, Malawi, Ivory Coast and South Africa.