Fluid Influence - Branding Relevance In A World Of Change

Having worked in the field of professional speaking and business influence for the last 15 years, I remember when the term thought leader was considered to be the cool way of referring to a motivational speaker. That was just before the term disruptor became the most overused word of the 2000’s (thus far), and it was definitely before it was deemed acceptable to wear a pink jackets and retro shirts on a speaking stage! (shout out to my crew at Future Crunch).

Let's face it. If there is anything we have learnt in 2020, it's that the world can change with rapid speed and when it does old ideas become redundant at lightning speed. It seems obvious to say that when the context flips the conversations change, the old rules are unwritten and the formula for success yesterday no longer guarantees a position of influence tomorrow. None of this is rocket science, but it's human nature to put on the blinkers when the heat goes up. The reality is that if you want to thrive as a business influencer then now is not the time for blinkers, and nor is it the time to stand still beating the drums of yesterday. The context has changed, and so have the conversations. 

I read an article recently featured on Skift that claimed that the events industry is having its Napster moment, and that could mean all types of business events are in danger of their revenue streams especially their speaking budgets. It's no surprise to anyone that digital is the new delivery. We are all waiting with bated breath for Zoom and LinkedIn to give birth to a hybrid baby converging social networking with virtual conferences, live panels with performance reviews, or product launches with holographic keynote speakers beamed into a virtual convention centre.

Our second lives began the moment the world wide web exploded in the early 90's, but in 2020 the dial has amped up, and all of a sudden we see business influencers, and speakers land in one of two camps. Some are still in black and white, while those able to adapt are standing out in Technicolor. 

Interestingly enough, even if the events industry is having its Napster moment, It's not the webinars, virtual conferences or zoom calls that matter. Nor is it the freely available content or the fact your competition went global overnight. If you want your message and your brand to stay relevant, then adaptability is everything and Fluid Influence is your new superpower. This is our ability to integrate information, position a perspective and translate our ideas in real-time. 

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water” - Bruce Lee 

Brice Lee has summed up fluid influence beautifully capturing the notion that outward things disclose themselves. Our job as influencers is to convey that truth, and if we are rigid in our ideas we are unable to tap into the flow of influential ideas - the kind of influence that is needed when it matters most. Times like now. 

The other interesting thing about water as a metaphor for influence is as much as it enables us to flow with change, it is also a symbol of strength and power with the ability to wash away the old. A Fluid influencer is one who is willing to also wash away the old or redundant. They choose to be a pioneer of new ideas, rather than a parrot regurgitating or reinventing the same old narrative (I have seen so many speakers do exactly this over the years). They are influencers who have enough self worth and conviction to deeply question a common narrative. 

In one of my recent interviews with Pauline Nguyen she referenced what she calls an FYI - Follow Your Irritation. This was the notion that if we didn't agree with a commonly held belief then as leaders we should call it out. The example she shares is not believing that purpose ‘Starts With Why’ (Simon Sinek), instead choosing to believe that purpose begins with ‘Who’ we are. As an influencer she is grounded in her opinion, even if it challenges a popularised thought. This is fluid influence. 

If you are in the game of influence and you want to do more than survive in the events industry’s Napster moment; Ask yourself, how quickly are you able to take in a new context, question ideas (yours or others)? Are you able to ground and translate new information in a manner in which your influence flows? 

Fluid Influence trumps research, rehearsed lines or the power of your relationships (even though they are important). Contacts cease to matter if your conversation is redundant. Fluid influence asks us to think, translate and transform our message in real-time. We all like the comfort of perfection, process and practice, but the world today is moving too quickly. As business influencers, we must commit to going deep into our body of expertise but not at the expense of our ability to adapt with fluidity. 

To amp up your relevance in times of change come and join our tribe!