Influence others | start with yourself

KEYPOINTS
> Influencing others can be a daunting task but it plays an important role in our daily life.
> Becoming an inspiration to others by acting first, being very visible and being vulnerable can be effective ways to influence others
> Influence others to become better by persuading them to change their behavior to achieve their goals in life

Influence others

Influencing others to change can be a daunting task. Communication with each other is said to be vital. The approach must be taken cautiously as the other person’s resistance to change may result in a broken relationship. Human behavior is very difficult to change especially if motivation is not present.

At work and in life, influencing someone to change is part of our daily lives without realizing it. We mostly see the wrong in a person and in a fleeting moment, our desire to change the actions of that person comes into mind. We may stay silent or offer our advice and hope that we are able to persuade the person to change. If not, depending on how much is our desire to change the person, we feel irritated when the person stays the same.

As leaders in an organization, leadership skills play an important role in influencing people to change. The aim is to ensure the work is done with the company’s objectives and goals. On a regular day, this is easy as people tend to follow their superiors and change their actions. For problematic employees, it mostly results to sanctions and warnings instilling fear on such employees and persuade them to change.

I think there is no shortcut here. There is a better way. It is not an overnight thing. It will require time and effort. And most of this is from ourselves, the ones desiring someone to change.

To influence others, become an inspiration

Inspiration is the starting point. It is the beginning. When we are inspired, we start doing. We start changing. Our inspiration may come from one source or many sources combined. Our admiration of someone may influence us to change.

To influence someone to change, for the better based on our perspective, we must become an inspiration. There are a couple of ways we could inspire others. These are not shortcuts rather long term approaches. Action speaks louder than words.

I. ACT FIRST

Be the first one to change and show it. We can not influence anyone if we ourselves do not follow our own advice. If we do not change first, then no one would believe us that what we are persuading them to do will be for their growth. People take their queues from the environment around them. If they do not see something is working, they will not do it. Also, it would be impossible to inspire someone if we ourselves are not doing what we advice.

II. BE VISIBLE AND LOUD

We are visual animals. What we see is what we believe. If we can not see it, it is more difficult to have faith in others. To become an inspiration, we need to consistently show the people around us what we do and the results of it. We also need to speak about it. What we have done and what we have achieved may inspire people to do the same thus change for the better.

III. BE VULNERABLE

No one is perfect. No one aims to be Superman. We can never relate. Being unbeatable is superfluous and no one gets inspired by such and cannot be influenced. By being open to our faults and mistakes, people can better understand our struggles and can put themselves in our shoes. Being social animals, we are more better if we understand the people around us. Therefore, by becoming as human as possible and expressing our vulnerabilities, we get people to empathize and realize that they can achieve what we have too.

Influence others for the better

Influencing others should be done for the betterment of the whole. Aside from the personal development of the person, self-improvement can benefit an entire organization or community people belong. By being one in mind, as a whole, people can achieve more.

Influencing people is the art and science of persuasion. We often get caught up in the techniques to change people’s behavior, feelings and thoughts that we forget that the change starts with ourselves. Becoming a person that people look up to can help them mimic our behaviors that have the same desire results that they aim for.

Influencing people is about getting people to see things your way and do what you want. Only by being an inspiration – act first, being visible and being human – can we only be effective in influencing others.