Last week I had the opportunity to lead a breakout on influence at Echo Conference. I am not a very confident public speaker {read: I HATE it} and life has been a little NUTS lately so I opted to let my buddy and hero Stephen Brewster interview me. Josh Burns’ notes from the session are here. And this week I’ll be posting some additional thoughts on influence.
1. How do you define influence?
The definition of influence is
‘the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or
produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.’
But I like John Maxwell’s definition which says, ‘Leadership is influence.’And the best part, you don’t have to be a “leader or person of influence” {sometimes those words trip me up} to be influential. Some of the most influential people in my life probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me.
It’s interesting to think back at some of the influential people in my life. Some I have never even met. I’ve just read their books or heard them speak. Some I’ve only had brief impactful encounters with.
Someone that fits in that category is Jeff Shinabarger. I met Jeff a few years ago at Q Ideas {Q is an amazing place to meet and connect with some of the world’s best problem solvers}. We were seated at a table together and Jeff took the initiative to find out more about each person at the table – what they do, etc. When it got to be my turn and I proudly told him who I was and what I did. He stopped me in my tracks by asking me, “Do you feel like you are doing what you were created to do?” That’s a question that will make you stop and think.
Several of the greatest influencers in my life have just been people who showed up at the right time and asked great questions. They helped me find great answers in my own time.
Who is someone who has influenced you? Did they have a leadership position over you? What made their influence stand out?
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