In Control... Really?

Our Ego makes us think we can control everything and the reality is usually quite far from that. This fact causes trouble, frustration, and suffering. Among the hundreds of issues we face day-by-day, there are two different kinds: the very few that are directly related to our personal will, desire, skill, knowledge, experiences, actions, and attitudes, and then the most others that depend on circumstances and actions of others, out of our control. So when we focus on the second kind, we are really wasting our time and energy. The skill we need to develop here is that of distinguishing between ones and the others.

Being an Influencer: Valuable Skill

Now, this does not mean that we should just disregard the second group. Rather we need to focus in what we can do about producing the conditions for them to turn in our favor. This skill is called “Influencing.” Those who develop this skill are “Influencers” and usually very successful people.

Many authors have devoted a lot of their energy to bring the concept to a simple clear understanding. What they have discovered is, not surprisingly, that it all turns around the key element: “Motivation” and still better: “Self Motivation.” Why is this still better? Because we can’t control other people’s motivation but we can Ours. Yes, it is sad to see people living miserably because they feel forced to work or do things against their will. Those situations will most of the time produce bitterness and negative results, along with unhappiness.

Influencers have discovered some key elements of Self Motivation and they actually are not that hard to put together and therefore acquire this valuable skill. Influence is beyond Leadership. Influence is about leaving a clear indelible mark of our presence. We know of (and may ourselves be) valuable leaders who can get important tasks accomplished when leading a team. Now the difference with the Influencer is that the team members not only are motivated to accomplish a task successfully under the support of the Leader, but they discover how their behavior can change for good! It is just a very Little Extra Push!

This is exactly what can make a real difference not only in the results of a defined project but also in the Culture of the organization and each of its individuals. Meaning, this will not only change the results for the Company or Group, but the Personal Life of each individual.

What is great about this is that after someone has been “touched” by a good influencer, they don’t need to have the influencer by the side to continue to be successful and motivated for the rest of their lives.

This strengthens my belief that a good consultant should produce not only an impacting result on a project, but leave behind the seed of a new behavior so the result will not only stay but keep improving and spreading all over. That is Sustainability and continuous growth!

Sustainability is Key for 
your Professional Image

Indeed, it is one of the most gratifying feelings when I come and visit any of my old customers and can see not only that the improvements we made in a project have been kept in place, but the atmosphere of improvement has spread to other areas in the plant, sometimes even to other facilities of the same corporation. That is a measure of success and pride.

That is the best a Leader's legacy can be. Leaving a behavior set in a team can be quite rewarding. Some "leaders" though, believe that they are not supposed to do that, because then they may no longer be needed. That is exactly the point! You want to be referred to, remembered, but no longer needed. The influencer gives people true empowerment, so they can perform on their own. This is hard to understand but when you experience it, it is no longer difficult to achieve once and again. This builds up your reputation and effectiveness.

We produce Leaders  within your team so Continuous Improvement is not just an "Event" but it is a New Way of Doing Things. It becomes a part of the Culture of your organization.

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