How to Influence Others and Be a Good Leader

¶ … Leadership to Improve Ethical Performance

Leadership skills, ethics, and communication are demonstrated by Bishop Hawkins in a number of ways: through the books he has written, through the sermons he has preached, through the events he has hosted, through the parishes he has led, through the organizations he has founded, and through the examples in his own life. He embraces a servant leadership style as well as a transformational leadership style -- because his aim is both to serve those in need and to help them develop so as to attain the goal, which he teaches them to value -- namely the attainment of union with God and the expression of Christian living in every aspect of their lives, whether at work or in recreation. Thus through a combination of self-sacrifice and transformational leadership, Pastor Hawkins has become the leader of a rapidly growing organization in the U.S. By applying the principle of altruism, as Singh and Krishnan (2008) note, he has been able to unite many different and diverse individuals under one roof and encourage them to strive towards achieving one goal.

Pastor Hawkins is a dynamic individual who founded the Voices of Faith organization, which grew from seventy-five members to more than 14,000 members over 15 years. Hawkins has been recognized as a great motivator and leader because of the growth in this organization, which he has inspired over the years by his preaching, his witness, his writing, and his example as a servant of the Lord. According to Outreach Magazine, Voices of Faith has consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing churches in America, year over year.

How does Pastor Hawkins do it? The key to his motivational success is that he is able to identify the universal qualities that help people to build themselves up and that allow them to expand out into a community to touch the lives of others. In so doing, he encourages his followers to unite in "spirit of mission" that orients all towards a main goal. Pastor Hawkins communicates this motivation in a direct and persuasive manner, using stories both from real life and from the Bible to help his followers to see the deeper meaning of the Word and how it impacts them on a daily life. The Pastor also appeals to his followers' minds and hearts, that is to their intellect and to their emotions, by using rhetorical skills, arguments, and Emotional Intelligence to urge them to hear the Word of God and to communicate with Him on a daily basis.

The ethical values that Pastor Hawkins presents are evident in his Christian faith but also in his transparency, his trustworthiness, his charity, his empathy, and his honesty. He is always giving of his time and putting others before himself, which is the essence of servant leadership. But he also wants people to succeed in life and to grow the kingdom of God, so he gives them a vision of this goal and unites them under this banner, transforming his followers into messengers, missionaries, preachers, students, leaders, and teachers -- identifying in them the skills they have and drawing them out so as to help them to achieve the desired end that they have in mind.

Thus, Pastor Hawkins instills in his followers a vision of themselves, of the person they want to become. He does this through his example, his words and his life. He interacts with people one-on-one, in large groups, and in more intimate settings like in a classroom or office. He excels in all situations and is always comfortable and at his ease as he moves about his daily duties, interacting with all different kinds of people. He always has a kind word for everyone and is always offering encouragement, support, and graciousness at every turn. He displays the kind of likeability that makes leaders so effective in their role (Cuddy, Fiske, Glick, 2008).

His point-of-view about leadership is that a leader should be like the captain of a ship. He should encourage all the crew to do their job, but he does not have to stand over every single one to see that it's done. His presence is enough. He can be felt to be among them even when he's not -- and he connects this idea to the spirit of God, His Word, and how it can always be present among men if they just open themselves up to it. So he likens what he does to this spiritual phenomenon. He sees himself not so much as an actor or a leader but as a conduit, a tool or servant of God, who is simply following orders from one above him. Thus, he too views himself as a follower first, and only a leader second -- and only in the sense that he leads others to follow not himself but rather God.