“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” ~ Ken Blanchard

In itself, it is vital to undoubtedly identify what is influence and how to flourish this muscle.  Identifying influence spans into two aspects as follows, respectively. In terms of our serving, influence is less about people knowing who we are and more about leading them to care about why we do what we do.  Subsequently, it proceeds a little deeper.  Leading them to care about why we do what we do, creates a passageway for their desired transformation, in other words, their ability to move toward desired actions. In our business, we aim to convert them to loyal customers and ultimately influencers themselves.  Consequently, the actions we seek to entail the following:

1) Mutual cordial engagement also recognized as rapport building

2) Genuine interest in people and their needs

3) Integrity in our products and services

4) Honestly establishing or illuminating people’s need for our products and services without trying to simply sell them

5) Educating people so that they can make the best decision

Every step mentioned above is a builder of influence.  When we move ‘potential customers’ over to the ‘loyal customers’ column through these methods, our influence in that part of their life is valuable to them. They will pursue our business again and again and through them our name and brand will be shared with others.

They will become influencers on our behalf!

Achievement of such can carry recognition as the best in the business and the best is not only acknowledged for their products but more so for their service. How do we serve?  By becoming the best we can be we eventually support the creation of a better world.  But there are three serving questions which remain.

1)How are we positioning ourselves to be more than purely product sellers?

2)Are we ready and situated to be leaders and influencers?

3)By our business and personal practices are we serving to cultivate a better world?

In the book, “The Go Giver” by Bob Burg and David Mann, the authors share that it is not money and success that creates influence.  It’s quite the opposite.  It’s our influence that creates money and success and it’s our ability to put people’s needs above our own that creates influence.

In fact, The Law Of Influence positions:  Influence is determined by how abundantly we put other people’s interest above our own.

Five Powerful Ways to Increase Your Influence

Be the Role Model 

Adopting a role model mindset is all about how you show up.  All influence and leadership originate from developing a role model mindset.  Every situation that you stumble upon requires for you to show up as the role model.  That means being able to manage your energy and attitude.  People take notice of how you treat them and how you lead.  Are you only going through the motions or are you being thoughtful and intentional?  If you don’t have the influence you want, think about how you are showing up.  Developing a role model mindset is about defying yourself to become the finest version of yourself.  Do not forget, you are influencing people every day.

Be Consistent 

Influence doesn’t occur once.   As a parent raising 3 children, I often questioned why external forces held grander influence on my children than I did.  Then I recognized in order to be of the utmost influence in my children’s lives, I had to voice and act matters on a systematic and consistent basis. Influence is not a situation, it’s a series of continuous actions.  It’s in the follow up where you build influence.  Oftentimes, in business, the focus relies more on the first impression and not on the follow-up.  But it is insufficient to have a great first impression with no follow-up.  As a matter of fact, follow up consistently.  And for that reason, it is through our consistent leadership that we form better teams and generate more customers.

Be a Positive Force 

The truth stands, we all possess the capacity to touch others around us daily in a positive or a negative mode.  The key becomes to be more intentional about holding a positive effect.  Every time you show up people are gauging your energy.  Keep in mind, it is advantageous to select to be positive and supportive rather than negative and critical.  I have learned that those who move through their lives focused on themselves and their own needs never realize the immense power they have.  So, decide wisely and be a positive force

Be Obsessed

About Your Passion – Are you obsessed about who you are rising into?  What are you learning and mastering to magnify your rise?  Do you know what are you passionate about?  Have you ever thought how identifying what you are passionate about, can support pirouette that passion into a healthy obsession? I encourage you to practice it.  This step turns out to be essential when going after your goals to move you from trying or hoping to achieve them tactically to making achieving them a must outcome.  When you are obsessed with your passion it becomes so necessary that it connects with your identity or someone else’s need and as a result you are operating in your full potential.

Make Winning a Necessity 

The following questions are straightforward but can prove insightful for you.  Why do you get up every morning and do what you do?  Who is counting on you?  When your why is connected to a vision that is larger than you, you will start to think of who needs you and what you have to offer and then GO ALL IN!  Applying these parameters to your method produces a win win situation for all involved. Being an influencer is about making your mission larger and superior.