Law No. 2 – The Law Of Influence
I often have people tell me “I’m not a leader” when I mention that I am involved in Leadership Development. I will typically respond with “Let me ask you a question – do you ever influence anyone? Your kids? Your spouse? Your Co-workers?” The response “Well, I guess so.” Then I lay it on them “There you go, you are a leader.”
If you believe, as John Maxwell says “Leadership is Influence, nothing more, nothing less” than you understand that we are all leaders in our own unique way and we need to understand how our actions influence others. I am sure you have heard the phrase “Lead by example” countless time during your life. There is a tremendous amount of truth to this concept when you really put some thought into how our behavior affects those around us.
When you walk into your office in the morning, what is your attitude? What kind of influence will you have if you walk in the door and say “good morning, this is going to be a great day.” Some of your co-workers may think you are nuts but you will most likely be raising the altitude of the room with your attitude. Now consider what will happen if you walk into the same room and say something like “Oh great, another day another dollar, is it time to go home yet?” What do you think you did to the mood of the people that you just influenced with your behavior?
Let’s take it up a notch. What if you did the same thing when you arrived home to your spouse and walked in the door and said “Hi honey, I had a great day at work and I am so glad to be home to spend some time with you. Have you got a minute to talk?
Men – It has taken me forty six years to understand that this concept is a great tool to impress your wife and let her know that you care about her – try it! Women – If your husband does come home and say this – give him a chance – he has not gone completely off the deep end, he might have simply read this post.
If you walk in the door and do nothing but complain about your day, it does several negative things. First is sets the mood for the remainder of the night. It also does nothing to show your spouse that you care more about them than about yourself. Additionally, you have all but ruined the rest of your night.
So do this – try and remember that even when we do not think that we are leaders, our actions influence those around us. Challenge yourself to be a person of positive influence and make tomorrow better than today. YOU ARE A LEADER!
Next week: Law No. 3 – The Law of Process
Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 5/23/12
