Categories: Leadership
Influence: ”the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command”
When we think about influence, it is something that is almost intangible. Intangible in that it [Influence] is a by-product of some other action or effort. More likely, a collection or string of actions that may go unnoticed individually, but leave a trace of sub-conscious impact.
With the exponential expansion of social media, the perception of influence has seemingly broadened to encompass a variety of actions in an effort to explicitly garner that influence. And now with a measure or scale of an individual’s influence attached to their profile, brand, or [self] worth, it affords new opportunities to exercise available mediums to enrich the rating.
It is interesting to now consider how we look at what influence is and means in reference to its Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition above. Should it change? Or are we incorrectly using the term as a descriptor of something else?
What is influence to me? Influence is an individual sharing their story of growth with me as a reference and motivator. Influence is seeing those around me learning and growing in their respective teams or role. Influence is my dog continuing to run right by my side while running through the woods not realizing the leash had become detached :) (That may be debatable, but I had to sneak that one in there. Just happened today)
Where does quality into the measure? How do we put a measure of quality on an individual's thoughts or reactions? Do we project our intentions against another person's actions?
Whatever influence means to you is what influence is. It can be attributed to one’s mental attitude, their fortitude, their mindset, and/or their experiences.
