Why Faith Shapes How We Influence, Even at Work

When I started my career in July 1986—fresh out of Miami University and working for Travelers Insurance—the workplace looked very different than it does today.

A few obvious examples:

• No laptops or smartphones
• No working from home
• Suit and tie every day

But one of the biggest differences had nothing to do with technology or dress codes. It was what you didn’t talk about at work.

Off Limits

Sex, religion, and politics were strictly off-limits. You were paid to do a job, not share personal views or advocate for social causes on company time. The unspoken agreement was simple: leave those things at home.

Fast forward 40 years, and the landscape has changed dramatically.

Not only are those topics now part of the business environment, but they also show up daily on platforms like LinkedIn. In many cases, it almost feels expected that you’ll share where you stand on social, political, or deeply personal issues.

A Turning Point

That shift is one reason my most recent book, Influenced from Above: Where Faith and Influence Meet, marked a turning point for me. I decided to be more open about my faith—not to proselytize, but to give people permission and hope that this part of their lives doesn’t have to be hidden.

At this stage of my career, being able to integrate what I’ve studied and taught for decades—the science of influence—with what matters most to me personally—faith—is icing on the cake.

For years, we were told religion was private and should be confined to homes or places of worship. But if what the Bible teaches is true—that the Holy Spirit dwells within believers—then faith doesn’t stay put. It goes wherever we go. It shapes our worldview, our decisions, and how we treat people, even when we’re not explicitly talking about faith.

That means faith shows up at work whether we acknowledge it or not.

An Exchange of Ideas

I was reminded of this recently during a LinkedIn message exchange. Although the other person was a Christian, he felt LinkedIn wasn’t the place to share thoughts on religion. I respectfully disagreed. My reasoning was simple: we now see open discussion of topics that were once completely unacceptable in professional settings. Faith, when expressed thoughtfully and respectfully, shouldn’t be uniquely excluded.

What mattered most to me wasn’t convincing about my view—it was how we engaged. The exchange was honest, curious, and civil. At the end, after I invited him to continue the conversation sometime, he replied, “Candor and disagreement without vitriol! Who would have thought. Thank you for the invitation.”

That response affirmed something I’ve long believed: influence isn’t about persuasion at all costs; it’s about relationships built on respect.

Getting Comfortable

I’ll admit—it took me time to get comfortable seeing posts about sobriety journeys, politics, social issues, and deeply personal struggles in professional spaces. Whether I agree or disagree with someone’s decision to share regarding a particular topic isn’t the point. The reality is that this is now part of the business landscape.

I typically don’t engage in those conversations because too often they devolve into debate which too often causes division rather than dialogue. But choosing not to engage, or doing so one-on-one, is different from choosing to hide.

I know being more vocal about how faith informs my thinking on influence will rub some people the wrong way. That’s okay. I’m not trying to convince anyone. I’m simply sharing my lived experience in the hope that it encourages others to consider how their deepest values already shape how they lead, sell, hire, and influence—whether they realize it or not.

Faith and Values

Faith doesn’t turn off when we walk into the office or log onto LinkedIn. Neither do our values. The real question isn’t whether they influence us—but whether we’re willing to reflect on how they do that.

That reflection, I believe, makes us better humans, better leaders, and more ethical influencers.

Edited by ChatGPT

Brian Ahearn

Brian Ahearn is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE and a faculty member at the Cialdini Institute. An author, TEDx presenter, international speaker, coach, and consultant, Brian helps clients apply influence in everyday situations to boost results.

As one of only a dozen Cialdini Method Certified Trainers in the world, Brian was personally trained and endorsed by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book, Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by Book Authority. Persuasive Selling and Influenced from Above were Amazon new release bestsellers. The Influencer, is a business parable designed to teach you how to use influence in everyday situations.

Brian’s LinkedIn courses on persuasive selling and coaching have been viewed by over 800,000 people around the world and his TEDx Talk on pre-suasion has more than a million views!