I have been devoting time to understanding influence and its relationship to purpose.  You may want to check out previous blogs. When you are operating in your purpose, you become influential.  We all have different spheres of influence that we are called to impact, but we must be careful to recognize the enemies of our influence or force diminishers.

Enemy 1: Procrastination

I have met more people who struggle with procrastination than I can count.  They are loaded with great ideas, but they fail to execute. An idea is as good as its execution. Don’t get me wrong, I wrestle with procrastination, however, I have become more proficient in overcoming it by leveraging systems. You only increase your influence when you execute.

Enemy 2:  Self-Imposed limitation

Coming in right behind procrastination is its twin called self-imposed limitation or limiting beliefs.  This enemy comes with many voices that sound different such as being too young, being too old, not skilled enough, etc. Moses experienced it (Exodus 4:10). Gideon experienced it (Judges 6).  Many great men and women have had to wrestle with this enemy.  Psychologists today call it the imposter syndrome.

Enemy 3: Lack of diligence or discipline

Are you reliable? Are you consistent?  I love Proverbs 12:24, “The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy hand will be put to forced labor” (NASB).  Prosperity and promotion are tied to your diligence. Likewise, stagnation and missed opportunities tend to be the fruit of a lack of diligence or discipline. 

Enemy 4: Poor Character

Character and integrity are your superpowers.  They are force-multipliers of your influence. Without them, what you spent years developing or transforming can be ruined in the twinkling of an eye. History is replete with women and men who have had moral or ethical failings. They were at the pinnacle of their influence but made a series of bad decisions in private than culminated in public exposure. There is a better way.  Guard your character and integrity with ferocity.

Enemy 5: Unsharpened technical skills

I believe that for emerging influencers to get a seat at the proverbial table, having the requisite skills and abilities related to the domain that you are called to is critical.  Unsharpened skills diminish your credibility. Proverbs 22:29 is spot on, “Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure people” (NASB).

Enemy 6: Misaligned Relationships

Have you ever evaluated your relationships to determine if they are purposeful? What do you believe God is showing you in terms of your relationships?  Check the blog that explains how purpose and relationships connect.   But to suffice it to say, if you do not properly evaluate your associations or relationships to determine if they are force-diminishers or force multipliers, then you risk being in relationships that do not help you expand your influence. The truth is that you need to be aligned with a tribe of like-minded people with whom you share the same DNA. Iron sharpens iron. 

 Now that you are aware of these enemies, what kind of tactics will you employ to overcome them?  Are there other enemies that you can name that influence diminishers in your life?