Key Qualities That Enhance Influence and Persuasion

Have you ever thought about what drives people to follow someone, or what made Jesus so influential?

The simple answer is that we follow others either by choice or necessity, often motivated by personal gain. However, certain factors can compel us to follow someone, whether willingly or reluctantly. Understanding why you choose to follow individuals, both online and offline, is essential for effective living.

Let’s look the life of Jesus as an example. When He said “follow me” to Peter, Andrew, James, and John in Matthew 4:18-22, He was inviting them to embark on a journey with Him, to learn and experience a new way of life. These men chose to follow Jesus not because they had seen proof, but because they were drawn to His promise of transforming them into “fishers of men.”

In Mark 2, large crowds gathered around Jesus as He taught and ministered. They were drawn to Him because of His compassion and the miracles He performed—restoring sight to the blind and enabling the paralyzed to walk. This illustrates that people follow others not merely out of admiration, but often in exchange for something meaningful.

Understand that whoever you choose to follow is often seeking your attention to influence your thoughts and actions. While not all leaders actively seek the spotlight, some are begrudgingly followed.

Influence is essentially the power to bring about change and various qualities foster followership, but I will highlight a few key traits that lie at the heart of influence. If you posses these qualities, you are likely to attract followers. Conversely, lacking them may result in fewer people choosing to follow you.

Vision

People of vision know where they are going and how to get there. Vision is the magnet that attracts. It is imperative that in any setting, a leader who comes up with a future plan steer his followers toward its achievement. Like Martin Luther King Jr. he envisioned a world where people won’t be judged by their skin color. Every man is created equal and should enjoy the same rights and privileges. His vision changed the lives of African Americans in his time.

Sometimes visions begin with a burden. Like Nehemiah, his heart broke when he saw how bad things were in Jerusalem.  And he felt the burden in his heart to do something about it. As the King’s cupbearer, he asked for the King’s permission and help to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem which was broken down and its gates burned with fire. Eventually, others joined him and the wall was built. Nehemiah 1:1-4. 

A true vision is energizing, it keeps us going. People don’t follow people for name’s sake, they follow people for the vision they have. Vision harnesses effort in the direction of a definite goal, and keeps it from running wild.

“A nation without vision is a nation without order”. Proverbs 29:18

Charisma

Charm and confidence draw followers. Charisma is the ability to captivate a person to influence them. Sarah was well known in college because of her ability to inspire a strong feeling of enthusiasm and a “Can-do” attitude as you tackle tough assignments. People happily followed her online and offline because of the energy that permeates her outward appearance and she encouraged them every step of the way. She excites and connects with her audience on an emotional level.  Charisma is magnetic and it commands influence.

Wisdom/knowledgeableness

For some months now, we’ve been reading through the book of Proverbs during Sunday service. This collection of proverbs or “wise sayings” encourages us to seek God’s wisdom and apply it to our daily lives. The benefits of acting wisely are woven through the book of Proverbs, one of which is that people will want to listen to you. Many came to hear and listen to the wisdom of King Solomon. People also saw how he was able to make good and wise decisions.

Possession of resources

If you’ve been broke before and now you are rich, you should be able to tell the difference. The value placed on you now should be stunning. Proverbs 14:20 says The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends because money is attractive and people like to be spent on. Possessing resources is not all about money or material things, it can be ideas. Just have something that can solve problems and people will run after you.

“Wealth adds many friends, But a poor person is separated from his friend” Proverbs 19:4,

Trust, integrity, and character

People of trust, integrity, and character don’t shout saying they have them. They are seen for themselves. If we want people to follow us, there must be some level of trust. The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles is integrity.  Having a firm belief in the reliability of someone’s word and action is trust. The ability to be authentic and credible with a good reputation is character. There is nothing worse than trying to follow someone that lies. At my first encounter with Christ, knowing Him with so much trust and integrity made me follow as He leads. Not many people live genuine and reliable lives but when we find one, we listen and follow them.

Accomplishments and results

Having expertise draws willing and thirsty people who are eager to learn. Experts are achievers, and people follow them because of their track record of accomplishment. People follow giant killers like they followed David after he defeated Goliath.  A sense of accomplishment involves accomplishing goals, a change in condition or outlook, overcoming challenges, etc. 

 Compassion and sacrifice

The ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others makes a leader. Compassion is the quality of having good intentions and concerns for others. This helps in creating a strong connection between people and it improves trust. People follow those that look out for their best interests and do so without the demand for reward or recognition. Sacrifice is inspirational. It reminds me of a quote from Jim Elliott: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” denying our desires for the good of others is sacrifice. This is a kind and admirable gesture.

do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

Conclusion

These qualities don’t come cheap, if we want to lead people into their destinies, we must be willing to develop these sterling qualities.

There are many voices and appeals out there seeking our attention and followership. One of the startling statements Jesus made about himself was ‘’I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The popular saying in Nigeria is – “follow who know road’‘. Meaning follow the person who knows the way. I follow Christ because He doesn’t just know the way rather, He is the Way. All the above qualities are embedded in Him. Whether people follow us or we follow them, let it be an opportunity to become more Christ-like, better than we were.

What qualities do you think are most important in a leader, and how do they shape your own decisions about whom to follow?