Are you making a difference by positively impacting the lives of others?
Business circles are buzzing often these days about influence. Who has it? Who lacks it? Why people need it?
Often, the conversations sound as if influence were a commodity you could buy at the local store or install on your laptop. Although it’s not that easy, people have more influence than they realize. They simply fail to recognize opportunities to exercise it.
Far too many people “walk in the shadows” so to speak. That is, they think they can’t influence others without having a better education, a bigger title, a more prestigious position, a longer list of accomplishments, better connections.
Yes, all of those things might help you sway staffers, colleagues, clients, voters, or neighbors. Yes, some are more important than others to build a case on a specific subject. For example, if you’re talking about brain surgery, your educational background carries weight. But none of these specific characteristics are essential.
Sometimes a child’s innocent question can influence a head of state to change a policy. The results of a college student’s research study may change the health habits of a nation. A poignant novel or movie scene may spark a national movement. In each of these cases, the result is the final measure of influence—not the rank of the idea’s originator. In other cases to become a person of influence may require:
- Becoming a Regular
- Becoming a Pillar of Your Community
- Joining a Networking Group
- Volunteering/Joining a Service group
- Becoming the person everyone calls first
- Becoming an influencer inside your passion
- Training others to be better connectors
What is the Power of an Influencer?
- The Power to Change Anything.
- It is the Power to change behaviors to achieve measurable results. You change behavior by changing motivation and ability across personal, social, and structural aspects.
- The process includes robust strategies for making change inevitable in your personal life, your business, and your world. Use the Wheel of Life as a guide.
Essentials to being a person of influence
[1]: Consistency
People balk at listening to opinions from those who don’t “walk their talk.” They want to know that what you do matches who you are.
Of course, people make mistakes and misjudgments. No one is perfect. That deception leads them to reject the total picture about the person: their ideas, their opinions, their accomplishments.
On the other hand, we come to trust the person of integrity. If they promise to show up, they show up. If they join, they participate. If they pledge money, they give it. If they say they’ll do something, they do it. If they state publicly that they believe in X, they practice X privately.
They live their life in the open. Inspection does not frighten them. People have learned to count on them for saying what they believe and believing what they say.
[2]: Empathy
People of influence listen with an open mind. They can understand another person’s point of view.They may disagree with another person’s viewpoints and opinions. But they can understand “where the other person is coming from,” so to speak. That quality gives them perspective and allows them to identify with the other person’s needs and goals.
People are much more likely to be swayed by those who can “feel what they feel” and who have their interests in mind. Voltaire had it right when he observed, “The ear is the avenue to the heart.
[3]: Courage
Your ideas and opinions don’t count for much if you don’t have the courage to speak up. You have to take the opportunity to show up when and where it matters. You have to do your homework and gather the facts to build your case. You have to listen to other people so you can present your case in an empathetic way that helps others meet their long-term goals.
Or the reverse: You may need to challenge an idea, an action, or a cause that you don’t believe is right. That challenge may take even more courage because you may be going against a strong current coming against you.
As the old maxim goes, people can’t read your mind. They need to see your backbone, hear your voice, read your words.
LEADERSHIP
Effective leaders must be influencers, i.e. they must be able to bring behavioral change. Unfortunately, it’s hard to change people—be it to get yourself to do something you dislike, to get your child to obey you, or to get criminals to turn over a new leaf.
To successfully influence change, you need 3 keys. These keys jointly constitute the science of leading change. They can predictably influence behaviors.
Key 1. Focus and Measure
Influencers are crystal-clear about the exact outcome they want, when to achieve it, and how to measure it. They apply these 3 principles:
• Set specific, meaningful and time-bound goals. A goal to “help the poor” is vague and subjective, whereas a goal to “save 100,000 lives in Africa from poverty-related diseases by 31 Dec 2020″ is specific. Clear goals that appeal both to the head and heart are more likely to spur action.
• Measure frequently. Unless something is measured regularly and given constant attention, it won’t drive behaviors. To influence change, you can’t rely on estimations—you must invest the effort and resources to collect specific data and metrics and assess your actual progress.
• Measure the right things that’ll drive the behaviors you want to change. If you’re trying to reduce sexual aggression, it may be a mistake to directly track the number of sexual assaults. If people are afraid to report the assaults, you may see a drop in assault cases when the situation is getting worse in reality. Instead, it’ll be better to measure if people feel safe from sexual assaults and if they feel safe to report such assaults.
Key 2. Identify Vital Behaviors
Once you know your desired outcomes, you must define the behavioral change required to achieve those results. Influencers don’t dilute their efforts over dozens of behaviors. They focus on a few high-leverage behaviors that’ll create the greatest impact.
Key 3. Use the 6 Sources of Influence
Now that you know the exact results you want and the vital behaviors that’d get you there, you must get people to implement those behaviors.
Influencers use 6 different sources of influence to motivate and enable the vital behaviors at various levels, thus guarantee change.
These 6 sources of influence jointly address 2 driving forces across 3 domains:
• All human behaviors depend on 2 drivers: ability and motivation. Whether you do something depends on (i) whether you can do what’s required (ability), and (ii) whether you think it’s worth it (motivation).
• These 2 drivers can be applied in 3 domains: personal, social and structural.
You can apply the sources of influence individually, though you’ll increase your chances of success by applying all of them. Here’s a quick overview of the 6 sources of influence.
1. Personal Motivation: Help Them Love What They Hate
How can you get people to do something they don’t want to do? Most people assume that others’ lack of motivation is due to personal flaws (e.g. “He’s too lazy”). In reality, we often don’t act in our best long-term interests because we’re trying to avoid short-term pains.
Influencers increase personal motivation by making painful things pleasurable using 4 tactics: offering people the freedom of choice, making abstract visions tangible, telling compelling stories and gamifying vital behaviors.
2. Personal Ability: Help Them Do What They Can’t
Behavioral change usually requires new skills. If people lack the ability to take action (or believe they can’t learn the required skills), they won’t do what’s required.
Influencers improve people’s ability to execute the vital behaviors by equipping people with technical, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.
We explain (i) what’s deliberate practice, (ii) how to dissect big goals into big-sized ones for focused practice, and (iii) how specifically to equip people with the crucial blend of technical, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills to facilitate change.
3. Social Motivation: Provide Encouragement
We’re heavily influenced by our social networks, due to our need to feel connected, accepted and respected. Even a simple social cue (e.g. a nod, frown or snigger) can prompt us to do or avoid something.
Great influencers use at least 3 best practices to amplify their social influence and the impact of social support: using the “Power of One”, engaging both formal and informal leaders, and creating new forms.
4. Social Ability: Provide Assistance
Most complex problems can’t be solved by 1 individual; they require people to work in concert, e.g. for interdependent tasks, solving novel/complex problems, group-learning and group solidarity. Influencers build social capital to provide the help, approval or cooperation needed for individuals to adopt new behaviors (see more details in our full Influencer summary).
5. Structural Motivation: Change Their Economy
Often, deeply-entrenched behaviors are the result of structural incentives or disincentives in an economic system. Influencers ensure that any extrinsic rewards and punishments will support rather than undermine the desired vital behaviors.
6. Structural Ability: Change Their Space
Nonhuman forces in our environment—buildings, colors, sounds, etc.—have a huge impact on how we behave. Influencers are mindful of such environmental factors and know how to shape them to enable vital behaviors.
Using the 3 keys to influence—focus and measure, define vital behaviors, and using the 6 sources of influence—you can have the power to change anything.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
You are invited to “Become a Person of Influence”. This is a 5-week in-depth coaching, mentoring and study that will afford you the opportunity to join forces and mastermind with a unique group of like-minded individuals who are focused on taking results in every area of their lives to a new level.
Having the support and ideas from other focused and driven people allows us to see things differently.
Whatever your vocation, you can increase your impact on others by learning the principles of influence.
Creating positive influence will not only be a catalyst to your success, it will become the legacy you will leave behind.
This coaching will lead you through the principles of influence: “Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.”
Whether your goal is to change minds, change markets, or change the world-anything is possible for an influencer.
Everyone wants to be an influencer.
We all want to learn how to help ourselves and others change behavior. And yet, in spite of the fact that we routinely attempt to do everything from lose weight to improve quality at work, few of us have more than one or two ideas about how to exert influence.
Whatever your vocation, you can increase your impact on others by learning the principles of influence. Creating positive influence will not only be a catalyst to your own success, it will become the legacy you will leave behind.
This coaching, mentoring and training will lead you through the principles of influence: – Integrity with people – Nurturing people – Faith in people – Listening to people– Understanding people – Enlarging people – Navigating for people – Connecting with people – Empowering people – Reproducing others
Strategies You’ll LEARN, GROW & INFLUENCE
Included with this Coaching, Mentoring and Training:
1. A customized Study guide for Becoming a Person of Influence: Becoming a Person of Influence.pdf (onlineaccesscenter.com)
2. Access to our Private FB Group
3. Complimentary 30 minute emPower Hour Discovery Coaching Session
Make this your best year ever. Invest in yourself. Reach your Potential!!! Join us on this 5-week journey as we discover what it takes to become a Person of Influence!!!
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor Frankl Invest in yourself and reach your Potential!!!
Send your team members to this group and utilize this coaching, mentoring and teaching as a way to empower your team’s growth and income.
RSVP. If you have joined our team and have an interest in discovering the” World of Influence” this coaching, mentoring and training is for you. It will be facilitated by Michael Kissinger, JD., Saturday Mornings @ 9:00 am. PST, for 5 Week sessions. Contact: Michael Kissinger and Sydney Reitenbach Phone 415-678-9965–Email: mjkkissinger@yahoo.com
Course Overview: Becoming a Person of Influence Summary.pdf (llnwd.net)
Do You Know What You Are Truly Worth? Are You Paid it? Does it Pay All your Bills? May we also ask, “For $250,000+/- Annually Will You Build a Proven, High Profit, Low Overhead-Low Start Up, Risk Free, Guaranteed, Unlimited Income, Side Business?” If yes, Call Michael 650-515-7545! 
