We have been discussing the Power of Influence here at Life and Business Integration and if you have not read the other post, you can read Part 1 and Part 2 to see what this series has been about. This post is the final installment of the series and I hope that for you it was as good to read as it was for me to write.

Today I want to cover a couple of more points about influencing like Christ.

Being authoritative as opposed to authoritarian does not mean you lose the power of influence that you may already have. It also doesn’t mean you should lack confidence when you speak. It simply means that you are tactful and genuine with your approach – not a stuck-up tyrant. The difference is that you speak with confidence rather than arrogance.

This is what Christ did when he spoke with others. He approached the Sadducees and Pharisees with confidence; He spoke to Satan in the desert with confidence; He shared the Gospel with confidence. Yet, with all the Power He had, He never had an authoritarian approach.

There was always a peace about whatever He spoke of. His personality, passion, and purpose all shined through but He never once pushed it or forced it on anyone. He was tactful, diplomatic, and most of all non-judgmental.

If you want to be an influence in your business, you’ll want to lead by example and speak with an encouraging, yet confident tone. In doing so, becoming a powerful influence can prove to be a beneficial and successful experience.

What do you think about influencing like Christ? Is there some relevance to it for you? Why or why not?

Image via Wikipedia

Communication is a Key Factor in Influencing

In part one of the series on influencing like Christ we talked about leading by example. Were you encouraged to be more like Christ when it comes to influencing other in your business?

Now comes on of my favorite strategies: Communication. What you say and how you say it is of utmost importance when influencing others.

If you’re condescending or condemning in your speech, others will see you as haughty, arrogant and egotistical. Most likely, they’ll steer away from you. However, when you’re uplifting, encouraging and genuine, others tend to listen and heed what you say.

Christ was a natural encourager and His agenda was well known. He was tactful and honest in His approach. While He said what needed to be said, He was sure to use the right words at the appropriate time to get the point across.

One way to speak in an encouraging tone is to use your voice as if you’re at dinner with your parents. You most likely wouldn’t be harsh or rude when speaking to them; nor would you speak down to them with a condescending tone. You’d use a calm tone of voice and speak pleasantly.

Think of it as using your “salt and pepper” voice. When you ask someone to pass the salt and pepper, are you rude, demanding or harsh? Not likely. You’re probably soft spoken, with a lilt in your voice, which influences the person to immediately pass the salt and pepper to you.

Jesus said that we are the salt of the world. That means that our speech must be such that is respectable, loving, and with a great deal of tact. Salt makes things taste better but a lock or over abundance of it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Keep it balanced and tactful when you communicate with others in business. Just because you may be the boss or have your own business does not give you the right to speak in any manner you feel necessary. Be prayerful in your approach and speak as led.

A good example of Christ’s tactful communication skills can be found in John 4. He spoke to the woman at the well with that witnessed to the core of who she was without judging or putting her down. She left feeling overjoyed with the encounter and brought more people to Jesus to hear the Good News He had to share.

Can you imagine the growth of your business if you spoke in the same manner to those you are trying to influence?

The final part of this series will be about being authoritative and not tyrant in your efforts to influence others. I look forward to hearing from you about this subject?

How do you feel about the power of influence as Christ demonstrated?

When it comes to having a successful business, knowing how to influence others is great asset to attain. However, as a faith-filled Believer it is important that we understand that influence is not manipulation or deceit. Influence for the Believer should be persuasion with love and service at the forefront of our objective. As Christ was the Great Influence so we should strive to be the same.

In order to get a clear understanding about influence, it may be necessary to know what the term truly means.

Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.

Influence is one of the most motivating factors in decision making. When you have a major decision to make, what are the influences that drive you to a final decision?

It’s normal to base any big decisions you make on how it will affect your loved ones. In essence, you could say that those closest to you have a lot of influence on the decisions you make in life.

So, how do you become influential so you can produce your desired effects on the actions, behaviors and opinions of others?

Over the next few days we will cover this topic.  By learning and applying a few simple strategies, we can learn how to become more like Christ and influence in love and service.

Let’s look at the first strategy now.

Lead by Example

The best way to influence someone is in your own behavior. This can go both ways – good or bad. If you want to influence someone to be positive and do well, you’ll need to be a living example of the behavior you expect.

In your business, be someone that others would want to model. That means you should strive to be timely in what you do, work diligently, and avoid getting into the issues that cause gossiping and back biting.

Jesus understood the power of being an example. This is why He choose to live as His Father expected Him to. Remember that He was God’s Son but He was also a man with the freedom to choose. His choice was to be the example of God’s expectation of His children, be obedient and follow through with God’s plan.

People are lead by example and will likely do whatever others around them are doing. If you’re a leader, then you’re the example they’ll follow. Remember, you can exert influence over others by becoming a proactive example to model.

Be the example of influencing with love and service.

In part two of the series we will discuss communication.

I would love to hear your thoughts as we move through this series on influence. You can help by taking the poll in the sidebar, commenting, sharing your tips on influence in business, or tweeting about the series.

Looking forward to sharing more with you about influencing in business like Christ.