How To Win Respect And Influence People

Welcome to another installation of In It to Win It, the column that is making waves throughout the evangelical world. I’m Pastor Brad Towers, and I answer all the questions that are burning a hole in the back of your brain. Today’s question is:

Dear Brad,

I’m a new pastor at a church and I don’t feel like people respect me. What can I do to gain people’s respect?

Sincerely,

Large and NOT In Charge

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Dear Large,

I feel your pain. As I’ve often said, leaders are like mountain peaks – above the world and often misunderstood and disrespected by the world. You’ve got to fight for people’s respect. To earn it. Here are a few things I’ve done here at Ridge View to earn people’s respect:

• Adopt a title that carries respect and insist that people call you by that title. For about a month I went by the title “Lieutenant General Pastor Brad Towers”, and I made dang sure that people called me by my official title. I actually applied to the state of Pennsylvania to have the title legally added to my name, but it turns out that there’s some silly rule about using military titles if you’ve never been in the military. Check with your state officials and see if it’s the same.

• Wear a uniform that forces people to respect you. This Sunday I will be wearing an exact replica of the uniform worn by General Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo. That’s the kind of bold, in your face leadership that people can’t ignore.

• Decorate your office in a powerful manner. If you want to command respect you need to surround yourself with symbols of respect. In the corner of my office I have a full suit of armor, and my wall is totally covered in photos of wild, voracious animals, like eagles, wild boars, and hippopotamus’ (which kill more people in Africa than any other animal). Instead of sitting in an office chair I actually sit in a throne made of ivory, which I happened to pick up at a second hand shop.

If you employ these methods, you will be able to command the same respect that I do. Until next time, I’m Pastor Brad Towers, and remember, if you’re not in it to win it, you’re not in it at all.

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