When it comes to depth of influence, even though all Christians are re-created as leaders<\/a>, there is a significant difference between passive leaders and active<\/em> leaders: active leaders are missional<\/em> leaders who are committed\u00a0to increasing their capacity for Christ-centered influence!\u00a0As a result, the depth of their influence naturally increases.<\/p>\n Here are ten\u00a0things that\u00a0the most influential Christians\u00a0have in common:<\/p>\n First and foremost, these leaders engage in a journey to understand and know Christ and His heart. As part of this journey, they allow their hearts to be reshaped and intentionally anchor their character<\/a> in His. In the process, they become living, breathing reflections of Christ.\u00a0As Howard Hendricks observed, “God’s method\u00a0is always incarnational. He loves to take His truth and wrap it in a person.”<\/p>\n Christian leaders must draw strength from a regular contemplation<\/a> on the mysterious and gracious works of God. At the end of the day, none of our efforts are responsible for our advancement, none of our works are responsible for our sanctification, none of our words are responsible for changing others. We are at all times wholly dependent upon God, even when He invites us to join Him in His work. Contemplation reminds us of who is in control, carries us through times when we do not see “results” and “success” and “progress”, and grounds us in the grace that actually empowers us to serve.<\/p>\n In a world full of needs and possibilities, everything is vying for our time and energy. Christian influencers recognize that not only can they not<\/em> do everything but that God has not called<\/em><\/a> them to do everything.<\/p>\n They first recognize that\u00a0our focus is to be on Christ\u00a0above all else. Christ is to be the ultimate focus and message of our lives. However, the most influential\u00a0leaders go a second step and\u00a0recognize that they have a unique\u00a0role to play in specifically\u00a0how\u00a0<\/em>their\u00a0lives are\u00a0to point people to Christ and bring His Kingdom into greater focus.<\/p>\n Context matters.<\/p>\n Home, workplace, community,\u00a0groups\u00a0we are part of, friendships, church – the position from which we influence others varies from one arena of life to another. Thus, how we exercise leadership will vary from one context to another.<\/p>\n The most influential Christians\u00a0not only seek to understand the culture of each context, they discern what their calling looks like in each arena and recognize that they may be called to greater leadership in some contexts than others.<\/p>\n Reflecting\u00a0the character of Christ, these leaders focus on lowering<\/em> themselves, not lifting themselves up. They know that making power-plays for authority will weaken<\/em> their Christian influence instead of\u00a0deepening\u00a0it. Thus, they respectfully allow themselves to be led by those who are in positions of authority over them. While these leaders may sense that God\u00a0plans to increase their position of authority, like David, they do not try to accelerate God’s plan. Instead, they demonstrate leadership and increase in their qualities as a leader\u00a0in their current roles.<\/p>\n Influential Christians are specifically committed to knowing God and\u00a0being a student of who\u00a0God is (theology) so that this understanding can flow in and through their lives and into the lives of the people around them. However, because God is so vast, the more they know Him, the more they realize that there is more of Him to know. Thus, they never stop seeking Him.<\/p>\n Influential Christians also pay\u00a0attention to skills and knowledge of value to their contextual realm of influence.\u00a0Your influence in\u00a0your company, community, and church are\u00a0directly associated with your ability to provide what that network – and its members – needs in order to thrive.\u00a0When your competency (and thus, perceived value) increases, your influence increases as well, giving you opportunities to shape that environment and its members to\u00a0better reflect God’s heart<\/a>.<\/p>\n Clarity<\/a> of focus is similar to mining for gold. During the gold rush of the mid-1800’s all of the surface gold was retrieved very quickly. While many of the gold diggers labored long hours over their claims\u00a0with very little yield, the most successful\u00a0miners were focusing their energy on digging deep vertical mines – often\u00a0as narrow as 3.5 square feet and over 100 feet deep. These miners would work as a team, digging deep\u00a0at a specific\u00a0point.<\/p>\n Today’s most influential leaders do likewise. They choose their area of influence carefully and then commit to it. When in a position of responsibility, influential leaders also recognize the importance of giving clear, focused instruction so that they can take aim and go deep as a group.<\/p>\n This does not mean that Christians leaders are to\u00a0ignore, minimize, or compete with the\u00a0mines\u00a0of others. On the contrary, we are to\u00a0maintain awareness and provide encouragement while working alongside one another to bring to light the treasures that we have in Christ.<\/p>\n Competency and clarity have a tendency to work hand in hand with one another. As competency increases, clarity increases. As clarity increases, you can focus on further developing skills and understanding that support your calling. Thus, this principle extends beyond general calling to identify specific points of focus within that calling.<\/p>\n After identifying their calling and focus,\u00a0the most influential leaders\u00a0don’t allow themselves to become distracted from them.<\/p>\n Picking up their tools\u00a0and taking aim to dig deep at a particular\u00a0point, they don’t spend\u00a0their time and energy meandering to new plots of\u00a0earth to dig a little here and dig a little there. This is also true when in a position of responsibility and giving directions to other people. Instead, time and energy is spent working towards going deeper into the area of focus.<\/p>\n Even when situations are\u00a0challenging and intimidating, these leaders remain\u00a0courageously focused and consistent.<\/p>\n There is a tendency to equate Christian communication with sermons and oratories. In reality, however, it refers to the many oral, written, and non-verbal relational connections we make with one another 24\/7. And a significant part of this communication<\/a> is listening for the purpose of understanding.<\/p>\n Influence radically deepens when our relationship skills expand to both understand others’ point of view – their hurts, needs, joy, desires – and clearly communicate in a way consistent with our calling and focus that will connect with that point of view.<\/p>\n We all have short-comings, but Christian leaders with the most depth of influence refuse to allow weaknesses and mistakes to control them and thus perpetuate a domino effect of detrimental actions. Instead, they identify and acknowledge them to themselves, trusted friends and ministry partners, and the people impacted by their actions. When shortcomings win out, they take responsibility for their actions<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0seek reconciliation.<\/p>\n You were re-created to be a leader in your circles of influence. No matter how deep your level of influence currently is,\u00a0leadership is never a point of arrival but rather a life-long journey.<\/p>\n Want to discover your leadership strengths in each of these areas? Download\u00a0Artios Christian College’s free guide on\u00a0Discovering\u00a0Your Leadership Strengths<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n1. They Want Their\u00a0Character<\/span> to reflect Christ’s<\/h3>\n
2. They\u00a0Contemplate<\/span> the Works of God<\/h3>\n
3. They have a Defined Sense of Calling<\/span><\/h3>\n
4. They Contextualize<\/span> Their Calling<\/h3>\n
5. They are Content<\/span> to\u00a0Lead from Their Current Position\u00a0of Authority<\/h3>\n
6. They are Increasing in\u00a0Competence<\/span> in their Areas of Influence<\/h3>\n
7. They Have\u00a0a Clarity<\/span> of Focus<\/h3>\n
8. Their Actions are Consistent<\/span> with their Focus<\/h3>\n
9. They are Learning to\u00a0Communicate<\/span>\u00a0More Effectively<\/h3>\n
10. They are Quick to Confess<\/span> Their Weaknesses\u00a0and Mistakes<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h3>\n
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