Doug Dickerson is an award winning columnist and director of Management Moment Leadership Services. He is the author of the new book, Leaders Without Borders: 9 Essentials for Everyday Leaders. Visit www.dougsmanagementmoment.blogspot.com to learn more.
Influence – “the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.” – Random House Dictionary
Jeremy Lin, Hillary Clinton, Warren Buffet, Adele, Justice Anthony Kennedy, Tim Tebow, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and Stephen Colbert; what do these people share in common? These individuals are on the Time magazine list of The 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2012.
Chosen in the categories of breakouts, pioneers, moguls, leaders, and icons, Time has given us their annual list of whom they consider to be the most influential people in the world. It’s quite an impressive list. While many of the names are recognizable, would you however, know why Wang Yang, Andrew Lo, or Dulce Matuz was chosen? Yes, they are noteworthy, and each has a compelling reason why they belong on the list.
Napoleon Hill said, “Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” Leadership is about influence. And understanding the power of influence is all the more important as you begin to make your mark in your surroundings. Here are three insights about influence and how to keep it real.
The practice. Each of the persons chosen by Time shares a common trait; they have excelled in their chosen professions. They’ve worked hard, overcome the odds, and toiled in obscurity long before the notoriety they now bask in. Their influence was carved out of a passion for a sport, a desire for political reform, a need to cure a disease, to entertain the masses, or to raise awareness for human rights.
The practice of influence is simply your passions on display. Mia Hamm said, “If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion.” She’s right. The practice of influence is born out of conviction and passion; it’s the secret to the measure of your influence. If your passions are not known to you they won’t be known by others. When your passions are practiced your influence will take care of itself.
The recognition. Your name may not be mentioned on the cover of Time, but as your influence grows as a leader so too does your recognition. A smart leader understands that recognition and responsibility go hand in hand. So before you begin to crave the recognition be sure that that your heart is in the right place.
Abraham Lincoln said, “Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.” That is sound advice for any leader. Recognition as a leader is a blessing, not a right. Use it wisely.
The reward. The reward of influence is found in the good that it produces. To be sure, not all influence is good. And some have used their influence for less than honorable outcomes. But the reward of influence can be found in the contributions of lifting up causes greater than self, raising awareness to the plights of the less fortunate, and simply making the world a better place in which to live.
What will be the measure of your leadership? What will be the reward or satisfaction that comes from it? To what end will you use the influence that you have to enrich the lives of those around you? Ella Baker said, “Give light and people will find the way.” And that is what leaders with influence are all about –giving light.
Your influence may not land you on the front cover of Time, but it is in no way less significant. The practice, recognition, and reward come from knowing that you lived with purpose and your influence made a difference.
You can start right where you stand and apply the habit of going the extra mile by rendering more service and better service that you are now being paid for. – Napoleon Hill
In his book, Waking the American Dream, Don McCullough relates a story about Winston Churchill during World War II. England decided to increase its production of coal. Churchill called together labor leaders to enlist their support. At the end of his presentation he asked them to picture in their minds a parade which he knew would be held in Piccadilly Circus after the war.
First, he said, would come the sailors who had kept the vital sea lanes open. Then would come the soldiers who had come home from Dunkirk and then gone on to defeat Rommel in Africa. Then would come the pilots who had driven Luftwaffe from the sky.
Last of all, he said, would come a long line of sweat-stained, soot-streaked men in miner’s caps. Someone would cry from the crowd, ‘And where were you during the critical days of our struggle?’ And from ten thousand throats would come the answer, ‘We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.’”
Needed within the ranks of your organization are team members playing to their strengths to make your business thrive. These positions cover the spectrum from high visibility to those with their “faces to the coal”, but nonetheless extremely valuable in their service and responsibilities.
Service-based leadership is the life-blood of your organization. In his best-selling book, The Fred Factor, Mark Sanborn writes, “The best Freds are true artists at taking ordinary products or job responsibilities and services and making them extraordinary. They are real-world alchemists who practice the art and science of ‘value creation.’” He is right. Do you have a culture of service within your organization? Here are three tips to help you turn that picture of service-based leadership into a practice.
Re-create your culture. In a recent survey by Consumer Reports, consumers revealed their most irritating customer service gripes. Topping the list? Not being able to get a human on the phone, rude salespeople, many phone steps needed, long waits on hold, unhelpful solutions, and no apology for unsolved problems, just to name a few.
If you are going to re-create your current culture and transform it into a service-based leadership culture, you must change your point of view. This is done when you quit your navel-gazing ways and look at your operation through the eyes of your customers. Solicit their feedback and audit their responses and see how you measure up. Re-creating the culture within your organization begins when you shift the focus off yourself and onto those you serve.
Refocus your priorities. Service-driven leadership begins with fundamental shifts in attitudes and actions. This is characterized by making sure that your core values are clear to everyone within your organization and practiced with everyone outside of it. If your values are not clear internally do not expect any help from those you serve because they will not know either.
The responsibility for service-based leadership rests with the leader at the top of the organization. Ken Blanchard said, “True success in servant leadership depends on how clearly the values are defined, ordered, and lived by the leader.” How clear are your organizational values?
Re-claim your purpose. What is the true meaning or purpose behind what you do? Billy Sunday said, “More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent.” He’s right. The secret of service-driven leadership is found in your purpose. When your purpose and passions are clear so is your mission.
Without purpose you may find yourself like Alice in the fairy tale Alice in Wonderland. In a conversation between her and the Cheshire Cat, Alice asked, “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat. “I don’t much care where,” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,”
said the cat.
Which way you go matters. Service-based leadership is deliberate, focused, and is crucial to your success. Service-based leadership is simply servant leadership principles lived out in the marketplace. In order for it to work, you must, like Churchill, paint the picture for others to see and put a plan into action. In order to get ahead you must be willing to serve.
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. – Christopher Reeve
Sports Illustrated columnist Kostya Kennedy wrote a moving tribute recently in honor of Rachael Robinson, the widow of the late baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson. Now 93-years old, Rachael Robinson remains very active in the day-to-day operations of the Jackie Robinson Foundation which provides scholarships to minority students from around the country. Her work in preserving Jackie Robinson’s legacy is testament to her great generosity and authentic leadership.
The Sports Illustrated feature coincides with the 65th anniversary when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he played his first game in Major League Baseball and the 50th anniversary since he was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. And thanks to Rachael Robinson, the legacy of Jackie Robinson lives on.
Jackie Robinson’s rise to stardom as an authentic major league player was met with much resistance and racial barriers that had to be overcome. And one event that helped turn the tide of public perception occurred in his home stadium in Brooklyn when during a game Robinson committed an error.
The fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered. Shortstop Pee Wee Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.
Thomas Edison once said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success before they gave up.” And this is the challenge for leaders who break barriers. Success comes to those who will stick to it longer than others, who will not give up, and press through their personal barriers. What will be your response to the barriers in leadership that you face? From the amazing career of Jackie Robinson to the remarkable work of his beloved widow, Rachael, we learn three important leadership lessons about facing our barriers.
Barriers build character. Down through the ages traditional wisdom has taught us to pick our battles wisely. But if given the choice, how many of us would choose to face a battle? The point being, we do not always choose the battles or barriers that we face, but we do choose how we address them. Robinson’s battle, by default, was in breaking the barriers of racism and proving he had the skills worthy of the Major Leagues. And Robinson did this with his character in-tact and with the talents that placed him in the Hall of Fame.
The next time you are tempted to grumble or complain about the barriers that you face try a little perspective on for size. It’s been said that obstacles are those frightening things you see when you take your eyes off the goal. Barriers can build your character if you will learn not to let them be your road block.
Barriers build bridges. And this is the mark of what happens when leaders step up to the plate. As barriers are overcome and new doors are opened, it paves the way for others to step up and achieve their dreams. As a leader, when you face and overcome your barriers you are creating opportunities and possibilities not just for yourself, but for others.
The emergence of Jackie Robinson onto the grand stage of Major League Baseball opened the door for other minorities who have followed. But what is notable is the way in which Robinson viewed his hurdle. He did not see his barrier as a stop sign. He saw it as a pause on his pathway to his dream. How do you see your barriers?
Barriers build possibilities. Robinson’s post-baseball career was marked by his service to the cause of Civil Rights. Now through the mission of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, his memory is being honored and his legacy is being passed down to future generations. The barriers he faced were merely stepping stones to great causes that live on 40 years after his death.
What will be the mark of your leadership? It will, in part, be determined by the choices you make in the face of adversity. Your barriers are not detours; they are signposts that you are tempted to ignore. But it’s when you travel with courage the road marked out for you that you can rise above them, and pave the road of your destiny.
The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. – William James
A story is told that Napoleon’s genius had been attributed to many things, but above all, he was a superb natural leader of men. Like any wise leader he was aware that his own success would have been nothing had his men not been willing to follow him.
Obviously he could not know and personally inspire every man under his vast army; therefore he devised a simple technique for circumventing this difficulty. Before visiting a regiment he would call the colonel aside and ask for the name of a soldier who had served well in previous campaigns, but who had not been given the credit he deserved. The colonel would indicate such a man. Napoleon would learn everything about him, where he was born, the names of his family, his exploits in battle, etc.
Later upon passing this man while reviewing the troops, and at a signal from the colonel, Napoleon would stop, single out the man, greet him warmly, ask about his family, compliment him on his bravery and loyalty, reminisce about old campaigns, then pin a medal on the grateful soldier. The gesture worked. After the review, the other soldiers would remark, “You see, he knows us-he remembers. He knows our families. He knows we have served.”
The story serves to remind us of the importance of expressing appreciation and why it matters. Liz Jazwiec, author of the book, Eat That Cookie: Make Workplace Positively Pay Off…For Individuals, writes, “Too many people leave work every day thinking, ‘My boss doesn’t appreciate me.’ When you feel that your boss doesn’t fully value your work, you start to care a little less. You don’t provide the kind of service you would if you felt appreciated. You don’t make an effort to help your co-workers. And when the majority of people in a workplace feel this way, the overall environment is hugely impacted. Productivity decreases, turnover increases, and it can become very difficult to stay afloat, especially in a tough economy.”
In a recent Gallup Poll, 65 percent of people say they don’t feel appreciated at work. And, according to the Small Business Digest, “These feelings quickly lead to pensive negativity, low morale and decreased productivity”. What about your place of work? Is there an atmosphere of appreciation that is known and expressed? Here are three things you need to understand about appreciation and why it matters.
Appreciation signals engagement. Even though it was impossible for Napoleon to personally know every member of his army, he understood the importance of knowing as much as possible about those he could. A smart leader will be no less committed to knowing the value that each person brings to the organization and the difference that he or she makes. When you take the time to know, recognize, and appreciate the contributions your team members make, it indicates that you are engaged. Are you?
The recognition that you give can be in specific tangle ways such as cash, gift cards, or some other form of bonus. It can be something as meaningful as a hand-written note of appreciation for a job well done. It’s not so much the gift that matters as it is the fact you are demonstrating to your team that you are engaged.
Appreciation builds morale. The acts of appreciation on whatever scale you choose to demonstrate it are morale boosters. What better way to build morale than to huddle your team and publically praise the efforts of those who have worked hard for the advancement of the organization?
When 65 percent of employees indicate that they do not feel appreciated at work, chances are, you have some at your office not feeling the love. Showing appreciation will build much needed morale, boost performance, and will go a long way in demonstrating that you get this very important leadership principle: you would not be where you are without them.
Appreciation gives purpose. When your organization builds a culture of appreciation it goes a long way towards building organizational excellence, strong relationships, outstanding customer service, and a foundation for a bright future. Never underestimate the power of appreciation and what it means to the success of your organization.
What about your organization? Does a culture of appreciation exist? Do you feel appreciated? When was the last time you expressed it? John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” That’s great advice. Appreciation: show it, express it, live it.
I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it. – Walt Disney
Back when the telegraph was the fastest means of long-distance communication, there was a story about a young man who applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, noisy office. In the background a telegraph clacked away.
A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office. The young man completed his form and sat down with seven other waiting applicants. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in.
Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. Why had this man been so bold? They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They took more than a little satisfaction in assuming the young man who went into the office would be reprimanded for his presumption and summarily disqualified for the job.
Within a few minutes the young man emerged from the inner office escorted by the interviewer, who announced to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has been filled by this young man."
The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and then one spoke up, "Wait a minute! I don’t understand. He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair."
The employer responded, "All the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse code: 'If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.' None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. So the job is his."
If you are like me, you are a competitive person, especially in sports. I do not like to lose and will play my heart out to win. But in our story we see what can happen when you don’t have a competitive edge and what happens when you do. Do you understand the purpose of competition? When you understand the purpose of competition then you will understand why it is good. Here are three observations to help you understand.
Competition brings focus. When the young man entered the office his focus was not on the seven other job applicants. In fact, it’s reasonable to conclude that he paid them little attention. And in spite of the clatter of the noisy office he got the Morse code message loud and clear.
The lesson here is simple. Don’t lose focus of what’s really important. Rather than worry about who your competition is and what you can’t control, focus on your priorities and you can control. Tune out your distractions so that you can concentrate on your objectives and achieve your goals.
Competition is a neutralizer. Because the young man was focused, he was able to hear what the others could not. This gave him the advantage he needed and the job he wanted. His competitors were rendered ineffective because his ear was trained on the code.
The lesson here is simple. Smart leaders will neutralize their competition not by obsessing over them, but by training their own teams to outsmart them. How? Through strategic planning, focused leadership, and a superior understanding of their product and service.
Competition is a motivator. It would be naïve to think the young man did not expect competition for the job. And as it turns out, he was one of eight who sought the position. Healthy competition is a good motivator.
The lesson here is simple. Whether the forum is in sports, business, or academics, etc., competition will motivate you to be your best. The secret is not to be distracted by the competition so as to lose your focus, but to allow it to bring out your best qualities that will give you a competitive advantage.
Competition is good and competitors make great teachers. Key for you is to learn from them, respect them, but never be intimidated by them. Let them bring you focus, neutralize them, and let them motivate you to be your best.
