It is possible to lead without influencing, and it is not possible to influence without leading. Think about this. What makes it possible for you to lead by influence is you as a leader having an understanding that “the quality of the life you live or the quality of your leadership expression is knowing what you are designed for and living according to what you have been designed to do.” This is how influence is built, established, or sustained. Apostle Paul said, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient." This is the hallmark of influence.

Manoah asked a very fundamental question that will be crucial for our discussion in this piece. Judges 13:12. “What will be the boy’s rule of life and his work?” The amplified version says, “What is he to do?” Do you now see why Apostle Paul asked Jesus Christ that question? What would you have me do? It was a question that reconnected man back to the purpose for which he was created for. Two basic factors were mentioned here and they determine the outcome of destinies; 1. your rule of life. 2. Your work. You don’t just pick up any work, there is a work designed for you, and that work must align with your purpose. This is what forms the basis for influence.  Adam’s responsibility was to tend and keep the garden, that was his work, and as long as he kept to that responsibility, his authority in the garden was not in doubt. There is a direct correlation between your work or assignment and your influence.

So, influence! What is influence? Influence can be good or bad, positive or negative and we must examine what kind of influence our lives produce as leaders. In the context of my discussion, the primary focus would be on positive influence. So, influence for a leader is the power and ability to affect someone's beliefs, behaviors, or decisions without using force or coercion. It is the capacity to inspire, persuade, or shape the thoughts and actions of others and can be exerted through personal charisma, expertise, social status, emotional connections, persuasive communication, or role modeling.

Reflecting on this unambiguous word yet difficult to fully comprehend its sublime nature, its power, and its meaning on destiny, society, and leadership. The whisper that came to my heart, hearing, and consciousness concerning influence is that; influence is finding your true path in life, it is finding the path that describes illustriousness or distinction and demonstration of fulfillment, authenticity, creativity, and stress-free-Christ-burden-like nature of life lived by a man. It is operating from the place of rest. It is a dare to sour on the wings of passion and courage knowing what to live for and what should be lived by, which is the word of God, and being subject to the authority, the leadership, or the government of His Spirit—the Holy Spirit.  

Discovering the path of influence brings out the thrilling factor in a leader, it is both an outflow and overflow of the Spirit of inspiration and the breath of God. It trickles nonetheless with a characteristic flow that exhilarates.  I see it as a dry sense of humor to life yet producing an intriguing sense of freshness and satisfaction.

Influence is a leader souring in the skies without detour while dispensing and disseminating virtues. It is an outflow that gushes like springs forming streams of water yet solid and productive in its intentions and delivery. It is an art and act of greatness with the scintillating touch of freshness, demeanor, and obsession in the work cut out for that leader.

Influence is a function of two things: Number 1. Selflessness in the place of prayer. This talks about intercession. And intercession is not just a function of prayer. It is born out of expression of love and a desire to seek the deep things of God. And this is what I call genuine perfection; the reason is that love is the ultimate. Putting people's needs, desires, and challenges ahead of yours is what God desires to see in this generation. This is the posture that moves the heart of God. It is you genuinely seeking the face of God for others. Influence begins in the secret place before it manifests in the open. A man who has been with God in the secret will as a matter of necessity influence men in the open.

It was in the place of prayer God attested of Jesus as His beloved Son, it is in the place of prayer God commanded men to give Him a listening ear. He said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I Am well pleased, hear Him.” This word hear him is the biggest and greatest influence any man can ever have.

Number 2. Knowledge. Knowledge brings light and awareness. It is ultimately the psychological result of perception, learning, and reasoning. I see knowledge as the content of the mind and the ability of the mind to process and refine that content for the benefit of himself and others. I usually break knowledge into two; ‘know’ and ‘edge’ Whoever has knowledge has an edge. Your depth is a function of the limit or degree to which you stretched your mind. You are simply a reflection of what you know. And you will be used by God only to the degree of how much you know. Indeed, knowledge is power. Imagine if Apostle Paul was not knowledgeable. How about Daniel? Even Jesus was given to reading and to books. At some points, he will say have you not read? Or He would say it is written. That tells me that Jesus read books.

A well-informed leader is a leader who will influence irrespective of where he is. The Bible talks about the fruits of our lips; the Bible also talks about the fact that knowledge must be found on the lips of a priest. So, it is the knowledge that produces the fruits we bear either by what we say or what we do. And the Holy Spirit makes a provision for that. The fruit you bear is a unction of the level of knowledge you have accessed, and meditated upon. (The Spirit of Knowledge) So, out of that abundance of that which we have stored in our minds and what we can draw from the Holy Spirit, the mouth speaks. Knowledge consists of three things:

i.) The knowledge of God. It is the knowledge of God that a leader has that enables him to command the attention of men.

“If you want to stand before men u must have stood before God. If men will take you seriously, you must have taken God seriously. And if men will hear you, it is because you speak with God face to face as a man speaks to his friend.”

People's disposition in life and to life generally is a function or an outflow of their depth in the knowledge of God and their partnership with the Holy Spirit. The Bible says because they do not retain the knowledge of God in their hearts, God gave them up to reprobate mind to do the things that are unfitting. This justifies the Scripture that says those who know their God shall be strong and they shall do great exploits. So, there is a correlation between knowing God and positive and impactful influence.

ii.) The knowledge of Yourself.  Knowing yourself goes beyond knowing your temperament; it talks about your identity, it talks about knowing who you are; your purpose and assignment, how you do what you do, and why you do what you do. Knowing yourself gives you the advantage and privilege of comportment and calmness while leading. It is also having an understanding or incline into why men do what they do.  

The Bible says there is a spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. You may not know yourself completely until the Holy Spirit reveals you to you. He is the only one that does an accurate appraisal of you. The areas you need to work on and areas you are doing well.  

A primary factor in the knowledge of yourself is hearing God and complete yieldedness. The importance of hearing God is that it brings you into fellowship and intimacy. And yieldedness talks about total submission and consecration to God.  This is the posture of “nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.”

iii.) The Knowledge of What to Do.  The knowledge of God and the knowledge of yourself is what informs the knowledge of what to do. The knowledge of God gives you the ability to discern, and one of the primary responsibilities of discernment is to give direction and understand seasons and the windows of opportunity created within a time frame. This is what informs a man about what to do. The Bible says concerning Jesus For He knows what to do.  Knowing what to do should always fit into the perfect will of God. And it takes the Spirit of God to accomplish that.

Only those who know what to do can influence and knowing what to do is to be led by the Spirit of God. I pray the Lord helps and give us the grace to influence and remain influential in Jesus name. Amen.

Thanks for the gift of your time, Apeh Francis Abah!
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