We all want to do something that inspires others. We want to add something to our world. What we don't realize is that a lot of people don't have to recognize you, for this to happen.
"It's amazing what you can accomplish, if you don't care who gets the credit.”
-Unknown. Commonly attributed to Ronald Reagen, Harry S Truman, Ralph Waldo Emmerson, John Wooden, and others.
I love that quote. It's so true! Notice something, anyone of these men might have coined this phrase, but no one actually knows who said it. No one got the credit!
We all have influence, we all effect to world around us. Every one of us touch people everyday, and those people touch other people, and those people touch other people! Just because we might not be able to see everything that we change, doesn't mean there isn't a lot happening because of us. The people we touch, touch others, these people probably don't even know who you are, but by your influence on your friends, and their influence on their friends, you have influenced your friends friends...that sounded slightly confusing, hopefully you followed me there! You have influenced so many people that you don't even know exist! Now, we can have good, or bad, influence, it's up to you. Not sure about you, but I've noticed that when I'm grumpy, other people react to my grumpiness, they get grumpy too most of the time. I influenced them by my attitude. So, now that person is now grumpy, because they reacted to my grumpiness. And then, others will react to their grumpiness, now you have a chain effect. When we have a bad attitude, it effects more people then we realize.
I personally am an optimist, I tend to see the good in things, and try to lessen the bad side of things. (Not that I'm saying I'm always a bright ray of sunshine or something!). When I walk through a store, I randomly make eye contact with people, and give them a big smile! I love to watch the expression on their faces when they realize that I was actually smiling at them. It's a novel idea to them...a random girl smiling at you? Sometimes they just stare for a second, and then turn away. Other times they can't help but smile back, and I will see them a little later in a different part of the store, and they'll be the one to smile at me first! I influenced them, I made their day better! I actually have a specific instance, that just happened a few days ago.
As some of you know, my family and I, are house sitting in Warrenton (which is close to Astoria...it's on the coast) until Wednesday. On Thursday we went to this store called Deals Only (fitting name btw!). While we were there, I saw a little Hispanic girl, I smiled at her of course, and her eyes got big and she went and hid behind a stand. A little while later I saw her again, peaking her head out behind a corner, looking at me. I smiled again. This time she ran off to her mom. I don't know much spanish, but I know enough (thanks to my friend Tasha!) to understand most of what the little girl said to her mom. She said something like “Mama, bonita sonrisa senora!”. Those are just the words I caught...grammatically that doesn't make much sense, because translated that says “Mother, pretty smile Woman”. But, because of how much I understood, I knew that because I had smiled at this little girl, she was telling her mother about me, telling her that I had a pretty smile. The little girls mom looked over where the girl was pointing at me, and gave me a curious look, and a smile.
For those of you who went to WorldView, this wont be new, but I want to share some of what I learned there with you all, these are my notes from the last lecture, I hope you all enjoy!
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The Driven Leader
Leadership is influence.
Charisma- Charming or inspiring quality.
Character- Moral nature or strength; reputation.
King Saul and King David
King Saul had great charisma, he was charming, good-looking, the best looking guy in all of Israel!
1 Samuel 9:2 “And he had a son, who's name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel and goodlier person then he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher then any of the people”.
King David was also good-looking.
1 Samuel 16:12 “And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, 'Arise, anoint him: for this is he.'”
In the bible, when God has something described, it's worth noting. Jewish people didn't care about what things looked like, they cared about what it meant to you. So when something is noted for what it looks like, it has to be spectacular. Both of these men had both great Charisma, and great Character, but one of them was the greater.
The “Affected Field” around an individual which includes relationships, institutions, environment, and resources. Leadership is just strait influence. You don't have to be outgoing to be a great leader, everyone is a leader, because leadership, is influence, and we all have influence. Your sphere of influence makes a big difference.
God ordered Saul to destroy the Amalekites, not to save anything, destroy it all. There were no exceptions made, and Saul knew that, but his men made the killer argument... “Aw, come on!”. So Saul took live stock to improve his animals, and took the King of the Amalekites captive. And he lied to Samuel saying that he took nothing.
1 Samuel 15:24 “And Saul said unto Samuel, 'I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.'”
King Saul had all the influence, he didn't have to listen to his men, but he did listen to them. He let his people influence his decision, when he was to follow the Lord's commandment first.
Skip ahead a little to when King Saul is chasing David around. King Saul hated David, because the people love him, and he believed the lies that David wanted over rule him, and cast him off the throne. King Saul right after a battle against the Philistines, was told that where he could find David. So Saul took 3,000 chosen men, out of all Israel, to go and find David. King Saul and his 3,000 men were approaching the place where David and his men were, there was no where for them to go, except the caves, so that's what David and his men did, they hid in a cave. The King and his men stop, they don't know that David and his men are up in the caves, so the King went up to one of the caves to “relieve” himself (being in armor all day, riding horses non stop, caves were a welcome place to go for some privacy). But the cave that King Saul went to, was the cave that David and his men were hidden in! David's men urged David to kill the King, saying that God had delivered him into his hand to do what seemed fit to him. David crept up behind the King, but instead of killing him, he just cut off a piece of his robe, and then slunk back into the shadows with his men. David immediately started to feel bad about what he had done, he had harkened to the voice of his men, and though he had not killed the King, he had stretched his hand and touched his master, the Lord's anointed one, King Saul. David held his men back from attacking Saul with these words, that Saul was still the Lord's anointed, and their King. Saul left the cave and went down to the 3,000 men, and as he reached the bottom, David came out of the cave and called to him “My lord the King!”. The King turned and looked to see David bow himself to the ground. Then David said these words to Saul
1 Samuel 24:9 “9And David said to Saul, 'wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold David seeketh thy hurt? 10Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee, but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put froth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed. 11Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of they robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. 12The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 13As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.14 After whom is the King Of Israel come out? After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after flea. 15The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.”
King Saul, a Charisma driven leader, was influenced by the sphere, King David, a Character driven leader, influenced the sphere by not killing King Saul. (Read the rest of the story in 1 Samuel 24:16-22, or read the whole chapter!).
Charisma driven leader has realities, their reality is constantly changing to fit what others want, they have no real truth, and no integrity.
A Character driven leader has one reality, they get on board with the real, reality.
“Christianity is not just a series of truths, but Truth. Truth about all reality.”-Francis Schaffer
Charisma seeks popularity, they will go with what the people want. And they care who gets the credit. Like when you have a brilliant idea, and someone tells another person, but doesn't tell that person where they got the idea, and then that person tells someone else, who tells the entire class, but they don't know who came up with the idea. But you do...so you say, “Oh, yeah, well, that was my idea, no biggie though. Great idea right?”. Charisma wants everyone to know that they're smart, who they are, what they've done. Charisma seeks recognition.
Character seeks righteousness. Character seeks to have justice, they don't care who gets the credit, they care about what is right.
Righteousness and Recognition. Righteousness might come with recognition, but it doesn't need to.
Charisma seeks rights. They want their rights, not to do things, to do what they want, they seek rights.
Character seeks responsibility, they don't have to do the right thing, they have the right not to, but they seek responsibility. Character, seeks to serve.
Charisma burns up resources, it's is constantly taking things in, eating everything up that comes their way.
Character gives out, it is constantly pouring out to others.
Charisma seek relations. To be acquainted with as many people as they can.
Character seeks relationships. Relationships take work, they involve getting to really know people, they involve truth, and responsibility.
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We are all a bit of both Charisma and Character. But we should try to be a Character driven leader, not a Charisma driven leader, who is self serving. As Christians we are to called to be selfless, to love others more then ourselves, Charisma does exactly the opposite of that.
Love in Christ,
~Bekah
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