My Dad, The Influencer

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"Influencer" in 2024 is usually a self-appointed title that describes someone who has a large number of followers on social media. Being an influencer means that you produce a lot of content. Their influence rarely produces more impact than getting a lot of people to "like, comment, and subscribe." My Dad is a different kind of influencer. His influence matters more and lasts longer.

His influence comes from showing up - in person - for real people in the real world, offering support and encouragement when they need it most. While social media "influence" is me-first, his influence stems from making everyone else feel like they are first. He has always prioritized deeper influence on the person in front of him rather than a short-lived, shallow influence on a large audience.?

I am beyond grateful that he made it his top priority to influence his own family, first. He was the best example of all of the life principles he taught me. He has always been my hype-man. When I was a kid, I started every morning with words of encouragement: "You're a leader!" "You're smart!" "You can do anything!" I still regularly receive those kinds of encouraging words from him via text messages and voicemail messages.?

When I was almost 30 years old, I ran the Austin Marathon. My Dad positioned himself at the 18-mile mark to cheer for me. I was already miserable by the time I made it to mile marker 18. He could immediately see that I was really struggling. Without hesitation, he left the sidelines and ran alongside me for the last 8 miles of the marathon. That's a perfectly representative example of his style of influence. In that moment, I did not need a LinkedIn influencer's "Top 10 Tips for Finishing a Marathon." I needed the kind of influencer who would run with me.

I was visiting Austin a few months ago and I had a break in my schedule that created the opportunity to visit my parents for a couple of hours.? My Mom shared that they were having lunch with a group of friends and I should come meet their friends at the restaurant. It was a pretty large group of people. When I arrived, one by one those friends came up to me to let me know how special my Dad is. They each shared personal stories of his influence and impact on their lives. More than one shed tears as they shared how he ran alongside them during critical times in life’s race. This is the kind of influencer we should all aspire to be.

Influence that matters and lasts is about commitment, community, and compassion, not clicks and likes. For fathers, it's never too late to prioritize the influence you have on your own children (even if they are adults). For everyone reading this, there are people around you everyday who need the kind of influencer who will leave the sidelines and run the race alongside them. I challenge you to keep your influencer running shoes ready!

Happy Father's Day!

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