When it comes to being an influencer there are three types that I want you to consider.
The Good Influencer
People-Contributor. To be a people-contributor, an individual seeks to benefit those around them. Interactions are not focused on self-gain. The influencer’s actions and words are considered in light of the audience. People-contributors make people a priority because they know this is key to making a difference in lives. There are many ways to contribute to the lives of people; a good influencer is a person who does their research to understand the overlap between their own skills and abilities and the need it can meet.
Results-Driven. A results-driven person ensures no time is wasted and that time spent with people is profitable. Results-driven people refuse to take time and space without it adding purpose or benefit. They seek to leave a mark or an impression that inspires the recipient to improve or develop. While the observed results in others can be meaningful to a results-driven person, there is usually a reward or praise for the accomplishment too. It goes without saying that results-driven influencers tend to be motivated by results, such as long-lasting success or growth in a person.
Self-Aware. Self-awareness is about knowing yourself, including being honest about your strengths and weaknesses, and abilities and inabilities. Self-aware people are careful with their words and are thoughtful in their intention to presenting their best self. Being self-aware helps an individual know and understand others better. Self-awareness breeds personal growth and the ability to encourage others to grow in the process. Self-aware people look inward to have the right tools and mindset to give outward.
The Bad Influencer
Popularity-Seeker. There are some people who primarily want to be known and celebrated by people. They have no intention to offer benefit to others. Being better than someone else, getting more praise or being appreciated more is their motivation. For these types of influencers, numbers matter. Popularity-seekers are in competition—imagined or real—with others. In the case of social media, the popularity-seeker will focus on followers, likes and comments, rather than the value they can add to the people who consume their content and ideas.
Rewards-Driven. Some people are motivated by the benefits that accompany positions of influence: the praise, appreciation, gifts and adoration. Rewards-driven influencers will focus on these benefits before considering the need of their followers. Reward-driven people tend to be flatterers and lack authenticity in word and action. They are adept at using manipulation or guilt to achieve their aims, such as gaining new clients or promotions in the work environment. The reward matters more than the people with whom they serve or work.
Self-centered. There is a significant difference between self-centredness and self-awareness. While self-awareness is looking inward with the purpose of having more to offer, self-centredness is looking outward at what you have, how you look, who you know and where you come from to bolster your inner life and feelings of self-importance. Self-centered people focus on their needs before the needs of others. When they interact with others, they tend to exploit, use and seek personal benefit. Self-centered people are often ignorant of the needs of others because they fail to listen to others. Underpinning self‑centredness is a desire to be heard and valued. Self-centered influencers want to be the center of attention. If they are not, they will seek people who will give them the validation they crave.
The Godly Influencer
Principle-Conscious. The godly influencer is guided by divine principles, not their personal preferences when it comes to relating to others. Principle asks, ‘Is this right?’, while preference asks, ‘How do you feel about it?’ Preference is not necessarily evil. After all, diversity of views, tastes, and perspectives makes humanity rich and interesting. The problem emerges when preference is preferred over principle to the extent to which ethics and morality become subjective. The godly influencer understands that there is an absolute moral code, derived from the Bible, and their lives are evidence of this.
Redemption-Driven. The most prevalent theme of the Bible is salvation. God’s love for humanity is expressed in the act of Jesus, who came to Earth and died for the sins of humanity (See John 3:16). Every story, act, intervention, instruction and involvement of God in the lives of His people has a redemptive intent. The New Testament introduces Jesus, the Saviour, who lived among men as one of them—the embodiment of God’s salvation plan for humanity. Not only did Jesus die for the sins of humanity, but He also modeled a godly life. The godly influencer’s motivation to impact lives is fuelled by this redemptive theme. The godly influencer’s words and actions direct the people around them to want redemption for themselves.
Self-Sacrificing. The godly influencer is willing to spend and be spent for the sake of impacting the world. To them, there is no price too high to pay or place too low to go for the purpose of influencing someone for the Kingdom of Heaven. They willingly give their time to the cause and people that need them. They open their homes and welcome people into their comfort zones to foster authentic relationships that impact souls.