 | #92 Your influential Circlesposted by Justin Barry, Group AdministratorFriday, August 26th 2011 @ 12:00 AM |
"It's not your intention that influences people, it's your impact." The core to leadership is to influence those around you so they support you in your goal.
Lets be honest the majority of people are not interested in becoming inspritiantial leaders, but I guess that almost everyone wants to be influential and respected among their family, friends and peers.
So here are some suggestions to acheive this goal
1. Strive to be the best
It simply means being the best within your group. Research has shown that the most respectable and influential people are the ones that have mastered their skillsets the most (e.g. IT, Sales, engineering, football, etc). Of course a key note is that the activity you excel at must be shared by all the people in your circle. If you are the best at Marketing but your organisation does IT and accounting, then it wouldn’t have the same effectl.
Also keep in mind that you will want to conduct yourself in a manner that minimizes jealously.
2. Become useful by helping others
This means that you are around to help people out and always have the right resources handy when it’s needed.
You just need to be organised and available to make a difference. If you are the one that brings something "to the table" when no one else thought of it, or you have information that was important, then people will start to trust you.
Remember that you want to help when you can and when it is important, so don’t let people can trample over you. Learn how to say no when you have to.
3. Become Fearless
People usually respect people who can overcome their own fears. Most fears are not encountered on a regular social basis, but by stepping out of your comfort zone.
For example, if you are always taking the initiative in organizing special events and extending your network of contacts then this will usually earn a lot of respect from the group.
4. Become "the lynchpin"
This is simply the enjoyment of making new friends and helping them out with your existing network or friends and colleagues.
Whenever someone in your circle has a need, you know the friend who can help them which they will appreciate and want to "return the favour" at a later time.
An example of this is film "The Godfather". If you remember, he wasn't very knowledable or was a maven, but he was the connector that everyone depended on. His power and influence comes from his network and how he is able to leverage that for himself and his friends.
Everyone has different skills and personality types so the key is to find the approach that best works for you and home in on this to achieve your goals!!
Good luck everyone.
J
