Influence is Power Without Force

Do you have the influence you want in your career, life, and relationships?

The old school of influence comes from force. This is where people must be commanded, put in their place, and punished if necessary to get them to comply or get on board. But history has repeatedly shown that whether it’s your nation, your coworkers, or your kids, force takes a lot of energy and, in the end, almost always fails against our human nature to resist.

Influence, however, is power WITHOUT force.

What carries the most power is when people see you as someone who is clear in your message, authentic in your voice, and aligned in your actions.

When leaders live this way, their reputation begins to precede them, which is an indication that they have become rich in “social capital.” When people hear about your merits from others, they begin to trust and admire you before they even meet you.

But here’s the deeper cut. When you carry yourself in a way that raises the bar for how others around you show up in the world, they start to follow you, trust you and are loyal to you, not just because they like you but because you carry a quality that has them “want to be like you.” That is ultimately what it is all about and why learning to be a leader of positive influence is an evolutionary journey.

As Lao Tzu famously said, “The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” And the journey to being a powerful and influential leader starts with how you respond to the next thing that comes up for you to deal with. Something to think about as you go through your day.