Leadership, is about influence. Ultimately, you have created a bond of trust with your audience, customers/clients or otherwise — and they will follow you just about anywhere! So are you asking yourself how does one build influence? Or, how can one increase influence as a leader or entrepreneur?
Well, this is the post for you! It begins with self-help (improvement). Making an investment in your own abilities and adaptability. And, a commitment to keep growing and learning.
This, is one of the most influential things you can do for yourself and ultimately, others.
But, we want to give you some more specifics. Because the more influence you can create we believe equates to the number of lives you can impact and influence for greatness.
Build or Increase your Influence as a Leader
No matter your role, influence is key to solving problems and making things happen. In the business world, this means moving people to help you affect change, implement key decisions and create an ‘all-in’ around your ideas.
Create Winning Opportunities
Create situations that give people you’re working with a series of small wins that will magnify their strengths. When challenges are met and/or exceeded and those situations turn into wins, people respect the leader who has helped them stretch. In turn, increases your influence as a leader.
Serve Others Before Yourself
Pour into others! Seriously — the best way to increase your influence is to get completely lost in the service of others. Growing others, helping them learn, improve and succeed are all that matters when it comes to influence. Leadership is about doing what you say — it’s not about saying what you will do. Lead first.
Think Macro for Micro Thinkers
Paint the vision. Sometimes, people will need help in seeing the bigger picture.
It’s like an author writing a story includes all the details to the reader feels ‘there’. Or, it’s the man/woman on stage telling a compelling story to the audience — showing them what’s possible. It may even be the car salesperson who takes you to a convertible, hair blowing in the wind, radio up and good times to be had (when you went in for a minivan!)
This tool for increasing your influence as a leader is helping others see what isn’t tangible just yet. It’s leading them to a life that deep down they desire. Help others see things on a macro level and help them get there.
Believe in Others
And sometimes, this ends up being more than they believe in themselves. There is no greater support or empowerment you can give someone else — than to look them in the eye and authentically and genuinely say, “I believe in you.”
When you believe in someone, they can literally, achieve the impossible.
Truly Connect with Others in your Network
Leaders are responsible for connecting with people and relating to them in a way that increases their own influence. When you connect with people, you begin to form relationships—and relationships are the basis of influence, right?
Be sure that when people engage on your content, you engage back. When someone waits to meet you at an event — do all you can to ensure you give them an opportunity to meet you. Your regular customers – love on them!
Breathe life into others, your influence will only increase over time!
