By: Phil Williams
I coined a phrase a few years ago that I use often at Rightside Media: “Operating with ‘Bulletproof Influence’!” We’ve even gone so far as to have custom merchandise made with the catchphrase. It is part of who we are.
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Bryan Dawson of 1819 News for an extended podcast and found that his team has a very similar motto: “We’re going to do what’s right even if they shoot bullets at us!” It’s part of who they are.
Bulletproof Influence… let’s talk about that for a minute. Let’s talk about it in terms of who we want to be as a people. As a state. As a nation.
We are in the primary season for elections. Men and women are throwing themselves into the public square for the opportunity to lead, guide, and direct at every level. It doesn’t matter whether they are running for dogcatcher or senator. We need people who walk, talk, and lead with Bulletproof Influence.
It is a comprehensive thing – this concept of Bulletproof Influence. It involves courage, messaging, conviction, personal experience, and the ability to stand up under pressure – even when it means standing alone. There is the sense that right is right, and therefore right is worth doing… even when they shoot bullets at you.
“In every age there comes a time when a leader must come forward to meet the needs of the hour,” Prime Minister Winston Churchill said. “Therefore, there is no potential leader who does not have an opportunity to make a positive difference in society.” Churchill was right. But all too often the potential for leadership is swallowed up by the fear of being wrong, of not being liked, of negative consequences. Fear debilitates. Fear is the enemy of achievement. The fear of fear is the loss of influence.
Bulletproof Influence is that ability to speak to an issue, act upon a position, or direct other people from the well-earned sense of being so right that it is more than a mere thought – it is a conviction. A conviction, matched by a deep and intentional understanding of the “why” of that conviction, and not just the “what.” Those who operate with Bulletproof Influence spend time intentionally researching and preparing the grounds for their principles. They speak from a base of knowledge.
Bulletproof Influence can only happen if you consider who it is you are hoping to influence and how best to convey your convictions. I’ve known a lot of people who were well-intentioned, with strong beliefs, but no ability to message those beliefs. The Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” Paul wasn’t a chameleon changing his opinions to fit which way the wind was blowing. Paul, was in essence saying, “I have a conviction and I’ve got to tailor the presentation of it to the people I’m talking to or they won’t understand it.” Bulletproof Influence is conviction paired with quality messaging.
Bulletproof Influence is also based on the very fabric of one’s experiences. It combines conviction with testimony. No one can deny your personal story. You were there. You saw it, you felt it, you overcame it, you learned it the hard way, you got the t-shirt, and you have the scars to prove it. Bulletproof Influence combines personal conviction, well-studied thoughts, and intentional messaging, with the very life of the person. It is Acts 4:20 personified as you stand in the face of opposition and speak influentially of that which you’ve seen and heard.
Bulletproof Influence is also earned. It is possible to be promoted into a position in which leadership is supposedly automatic. A job title or rank can be important. But real influence…Bulletproof Influence…is earned. Time is spent. Relationships developed. A position is researched. A claim is aptly spoken. No amount of negative naysaying can rock you. Protestors may rally outside the door and scream their epithets. Chuckleheads sit on Mommy’s couch in their underwear summoning keyboard courage to type mean things with their keyboard courage, and you really don’t care. You may love working on a team, but you’re willing to stand alone.
Watch those who are called leaders. Are they able to shake off and walk in the courage of their convictions? Are they working with Bulletproof Influence? We need more of them. We need more people who will stand up and say I saw this, I experienced that, I believe, I know, and I will make a difference, as they wield Bulletproof Influence in whatever space God has called them to.
By: Phil Williamson
June 20, 2025
