So You Want to be an "Influencer," Huh?
The oldest rocks in the Grand Canyon are nearly two billion years old, but geologists estimate the Canyon itself is much younger, having been formed by the steady erosion of soil caused by the flowing waters of the Colorado River over the past 5-6 million years. This erosion resulted in enough dirt and rocks being carried away over time to leave behind a crater 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, over a mile deep in places and indescribably beautiful.
For a vivid depiction of what influence looks like in action, it would be hard to do better than one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
If this is what influence looks like in nature, what does it look like in your life and how can you use it to create wonders of your own?
Influence vs. Leadership
Although I am certified as a Leadership Coach, I confess I have a bone to pick with the entire “leadership development” movement, which presumes everyone is supposed to be a leader in some capacity.
I have a different view. Certainly some people are meant to be leaders because of their position of authority and responsibility at work, in the community or in areas of their lives. Other people, however, are meant to be followers, and still others are meant to be individual contributors. Even people in designated positions of leadership will find themselves in situations where they need to follow the lead of others or maximize their individual contributions. No one is a leader at all times.
Instead of training everyone to become a leader, I believe we should focus on helping individual people identify what role they are called upon to play and equip them with the skills necessary to play that role effectively, rather than expecting everyone to lead. (Lord knows we could all use some training on how to be more effective followers!)
To be sure, there are times in everyone’s life when their actions and behaviors will have a significant impact on those around them, and it is good to know how to use that power for good. Like the impact of the Colorado River in forming the Grand Canyon, however, this power is less about leadership and more about influence.
Who is an Influencer?
Image Source: https://wallup.net/mad-men-smoking-don-draper/
If you were born in this millennium, you can be forgiven if you think the term “influencer” was created in a laboratory by the mad scientists of Silicon Valley, perhaps in collaboration with the Mad Men and Women of Madison Avenue, to refer to a select group of famous people who use their celebrity and social media presence to sell more stuff.
Indeed, the term “influencer” has been defined to mean “people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and generate large followings of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their views. Brands love social media influencers because they can create trends and encourage their followers to buy products they promote.” https://influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-an-influencer/.
Apparently, there are different categories of “influencers” based on how many followers they have on their social networks, including “mega-influencers,” “macro-influencers,” “micro-influencers” and “nano-influencers.” The one way to know for certain whether someone is an influencer, however, is to just ask them. They’ll be happy to tell you.
An older and less ephemeral definition of “influence” appeals more to my sensibilities. The guardians of the English language at Oxford English Dictionary define it as: “The capacity to have an effect on the character, development or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.” They go on to say, “The origin of the word comes from the Latin influere, which is a combination of in- ‘into’ + fluere ‘to flow.’”
“Flow into” sounds an awful lot like how the Colorado River patiently shaped the Grand Canyon, doesn’t it?
Defined this way, all of us have influence over others in our lives, no matter what position we hold, what title is on our business card or how many followers we have on social media. Likewise, we all are subject to a variety of influencers “flowing into” us. The question for each of us is what sort of influence we want to have on others and what kind of influencers (human or otherwise) we will allow to flow into us on a daily basis.
Mentor, Student, Peer
In my faith tradition, we are taught we each should be a Paul (known for his teaching ability), a Timothy (known for his teach-ability) and a Barnabas (known for his gift of encouragement) to someone else in our lives. Translated into the secular world, I think that means one of the ways we can leverage the power of influence is by being intentional in seeking opportunities to be a wise mentor, a willing student and an encouraging peer or friend.
The past few weeks have been . . . complicated for me as I’ve dealt with the impact of change in my professional world and the lingering effects of loss in my personal life. Yet during this same period, I have been blessed immeasurably by the opportunity to influence and be influenced by others in each of these three roles:
I have spent time with younger colleagues and coaching clients learning more about their lives, talents and dreams, sharing resources that I have found valuable in my own journey, and (when asked) giving my perspective on challenges facing them.
I have sought out opportunities to sit at the knee of generous and wise elders, asking them for insights they could share based on their own experiences that would allow me to be a better leader, coach, father and friend.
Perhaps most meaningful of all for me, I scheduled time to break bread with peers I’ve given permission to speak into my life and who’ve given the same permission to me—sharing common struggles, challenging each other when needed and providing the kind of support that can only come from someone who has walked in your shoes. Iron sharpening iron just might be the most powerful form of influencing of all.
How Can You Maximize the Power of Influence?
If you’re more interested in having the sort of lasting influence that transforms rock beds into natural wonders than in accumulating social media likes, what are some steps you can take to maximize the power of influence in your life?
Garbage In, Garbage Out: Not all influencers take the form of people. We are all influenced by any number of external influencers in our lives, including the music we listen to, the books we read, the shows we binge and the things we put into our bodies. One prominent influencer I follow put it plainly when he noted that “you cannot get good fruit from a bad tree or bad fruit from a good one.” If you want to be a good influence on others, first consider the external influencers you allow to flow into your life.
Train Your Mind: One of the reasons I read books about personal development is because they help me make better decisions about who and what I allow into my life and how I show up in the lives of others. Read good books about influencing well. Becoming a Person of Influence by John Maxwell, Give and Take by Adam Grant, and yes, How to Win Friends and Influence People are some of the best.
Be Intentional about Becoming an Effective Mentor, Student, and Peer: One of the ongoing themes of our (Up)Stream of Consciousness blog is how taking responsibility for your actions, behaviors and choices—and being intentional about them rather than drifting unconsciously--makes the essential difference between a life well lived and a workplace well led vs. unhealthy ones. Apply this same principle to the roles of influence you play in the lives of others. Ask yourself who can I teach, who can I learn from and who can I encourage and schedule time to invest in those relationships on an ongoing basis.
Returning to the image that started us off, when we contemplate the wonder that is the Grand Canyon, we tend to focus on the beautiful open space left behind rather than the 3000 cubic miles of rocks and soil believed to have carried away by the Colorado River as far as the Amazon River.
If we are intentional about using the power of influence in our own lives, just imagine how far downstream the impact of our influence will go and how many lives will be changed as a result. With all due respect to the entire Kardashian family, perhaps that is what it means to be a “mega-influencer.”
Mike Tooley is a Co-Founder with Upstream Principles LLC, a coaching and consulting firm dedicated to helping individuals, leaders, and teams go upstream to discover solutions for their leadership and employee development challenges. As a certified Leadership and Strengths Coach, Mike is committed to serve as a guide to help others discover, and live out, who they are designed to be.