Increase Your Influence

By Russ Bennett, CollegePlus! Coach

Three things you can do to capture a culture's attention.

How old do you have to be before you can influence people? Jesus stunned the leaders in the Temple with His insights as a young man. Esther saved her people, even though she was likely young when she became queen. Timothy was a young man who helped to shape the early Church.

As a teenager and young adult, you can positively influence people in lasting ways that just might change the course of history! After all, great leaders of the past were often normal people who developed ideas and made decisions that set them apart from the people around them. You can apply three principles right now to set you apart from mediocrity and prepare you for effective influence in the future.

1. Care deeply about people

God loved people so much that He sent Jesus to them. Believers in Jesus should be the most caring people in the world, for they have received the most. Look for ways to show people that you care about them.

Remember to use people’s names. A smile and a “Hi” are a great start, but adding a person’s name to your greeting shows them value.
Learn to listen. Most people just like to talk. Stand apart from the crowd by speaking less and listening more. Use good questions to encourage quiet people to feel comfortable to share their interests with you.
Speak encouraging words. We live in a harsh and negative world. People all around us are starving for affirming words. Positive words are a simple way to show that you care. When you see a person doing something right, tell them you appreciated it! Even strong Christians need to be reminded that they are doing the right thing.

2. Think wisely

Young people who want to lead must do the hard work of thinking. While the media can simply criticize ideas, leaders are expected to come up with solutions. How can you increase your opportunities?

Learn to relate Biblical principles to everyday life. Research what the Bible says about a controversial issue and explain the core idea in a persuasive way that people can understand.
Find wise people and spend time with them. Experience is sometimes a rough teacher, but you can save yourself a lot of this pain if you are mature enough to learn from others’ mistakes. Who are the wisest people you know? Hang out with them and observe how they do everyday life. You can also read about great men and women in biographies that condense a lifetime of experience and vision into a few hours of reading.
Ask lots of questions. Jesus was a master at using wise questions to get to the heart of an issue. Questions extract information and help you collect the facts you need to make wise decisions.

3. Use time profitably

Believe it or not, your life will only get busier from now on as you gain more responsibilities! The time right now may be your best opportunity to develop the skills you will use and need for the rest of your life.

Prepare today for tomorrow. How will you have a message to share tomorrow if you don’t prepare it today? Jesus warned that what is in our heart will come out in our words. If we have deposited nothing worth sharing into our hearts, we cannot withdraw good things. Scripture is electrified with insights, stories, and examples that you can begin putting into your heart today.
Learn to communicate with excellence. Regardless of your degree, good communication skills will benefit you throughout life. Writing trains your mind to think logically and gives you a framework for assembling your ideas. Public speaking packages your ideas in interesting and informative ways. The best writers and speakers have gotten that way through lots of practice, so seize opportunities to learn more whenever you can.

You have tremendous potential to lead and influence the people around you. Use this window of time to cultivate your influence as you care about people, think wisely, and use your time profitably. You, too, can join the rank of leaders who started changing the world when they were young!

Russ Bennett is a CollegePlus! Coach from Illinois. In addition to coaching, Russ coordinates the Effective Communication Course, a one-week training for young people who want to impact their world through public speaking and writing. The next course is scheduled for March 31-April 5 in Dallas, TX. For more information, visit www.envoyschool.com.

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Increase Your Influence

Three things you can do to capture a culture's attention.

1. Care deeply about people

2. Think wisely

3. Use time profitably

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