The Influence of Leadership
Some of the best leadership quotes or sayings I have read recently include the following two:
Some make the mistake of believing a leader has people following them, yet some of the best leaders know how to get out of the way.
A good leader knows the best thing they bring to an organization is their energy and motivation; they are a leader due to their influence.
Based on these two leadership quotes, I can make the following assumption and quote:
If leaders are defined by the influence they have on others, then very few leaders have the title to go along with their position.
In today’s society, we look to the CEO, manager, or someone with a title to give us direction or to influence the course of our work. Little do we realize the true leaders in our lives are those closest to us throughout our lives, influencing us and giving us encouragement. We often overlook the people having the most influence on our day.
Think about this: If the janitor at your workplace moves the trash bin to another location, the janitor has just influenced your day and, as a leader, has gotten you to walk to another location to throw something away. If, in that same day, you do not see your manager or the CEO of your company, the janitor has provided more leadership than your manager or CEO. Yes, I admit this is a stretch, however you begin to see the concept of influence in leadership.
Now, let’s turn this around and try to gain a better understanding of how we are influencing our families, friends, or coworkers. Are we good leaders? How are we influencing the people in our lives, especially in the significant relationships?
Do we encourage them? Are they glad to see us? Do we leave them in a better frame of mind? Are they better off because we were with them?
The kind of encouragement and influence to which I am referring is the same found in 2 Corinthians 7:6-7, when Paul was talking about the influence of Titus.
But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you…
We find the apostle was troubled in the preceding verses, even to the point of discouragement or depression. The Greek words used to describe the encouragement Titus brought to Paul can also be translated as a “refreshing spirit”. Paul was declaring, “Hey, you know, even though I am depressed, ticked off, and really having a bad day, the Lord gave me what I needed for the battle by sending a friend with a refreshing spirit to encourage me.”
Titus was a friend, an influence, and an encourager, and eventually went on to become a leader in the church on the Greek island of Crete. The leadership quality he is most known for is his influence and encouragement he brought to Paul and to the church.
How many Pauls do you have in your life? How many people do you have in your life that you can encourage? When you influence others, especially in your significant relationships, are you leading them well? Are they better off?
We are all called to be leaders. Are you tough enough?
Glenn Sasscer
www.glennsasscer.com
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