What Creates Influence?

What Creates Influence?

J. R. Miller said, “No one can understand that mysterious thing we call influence ... yet ... everyone of us continually exerts influence, either to heal, to bless, to leave marks of beauty; or to wound, to hurt, to poison, to stain others lives.”

What is influence?

According to the dictionary, influence is “the power to sway or effect based on prestige, wealth, ability or position." That definition would seem to suggest that affluence determines influence.

And yet, one of the poorest women, in terms of financial wealth, the world has ever known was also one of the most influential: Mother Teresa.

In a life devoid of materialism, Mother Teresa spread her influence of love and selflessness around the world. It was her lack of position, as we normally think of it, which touched so many. As much as anything she did, it was her words that spread a legacy of love:

? “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

? “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.

? “One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody.”

? “Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted”

When I think of the people who have had the most influence on me, their influence isn’t based in what they have; it comes from who they are. A more all-encompassing definition of influence comes from Bob Burg and John David Mann in “The Go-Giver:" "Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.”

Influence isn’t about position or title - it is about care, concern, service and selflessness. It is about creating value and impact. This is what creates lasting influence.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Ty Bennett的更多文章

  • 3 Pieces of Advice for Entrepreneurs

    3 Pieces of Advice for Entrepreneurs

    This week I'm speaking virtually to entrepreneurs from 18 countries. As I've prepared, I've thought a lot about the…

    1 条评论
  • If You Don’t Express It, You Can’t Expect It

    If You Don’t Express It, You Can’t Expect It

    Last week I was helping my friend Sydne Jacques prepare her speech that she is giving this week. One of the lines in…

    1 条评论
  • How To Get Free Popcorn

    How To Get Free Popcorn

    One of the best strategies I know to win with people is to focus on being interested, not interesting. The problem with…

  • Outward Thinking

    Outward Thinking

    This is going to seem like a parent brag and maybe it is, but my kids seem to teach me much more than I teach them and…

    2 条评论
  • What Is Your Floor Goal?

    What Is Your Floor Goal?

    Have you hear of floor/ceiling goals? Most people set ceiling goals. It is the pinnacle of what you want to achieve…

    1 条评论
  • Do You Know Your Value?

    Do You Know Your Value?

    I love the lesson this little story teaches A father said to his daughter “You graduated with honors, here is a car I…

    1 条评论
  • Listening Equals Love

    Listening Equals Love

    Have you ever heard or read a quote that made you stop & ask to hear it again? Yesterday that happened with this quote…

    1 条评论
  • We're All In This Together

    We're All In This Together

    My mind has gone back to this story several times in the last couple of weeks. Several years ago, my friend Cindy and…

  • Resilience

    Resilience

    La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy who is consistently recognized as being the best academy in the world to train…

    1 条评论
  • Influence and Charisma

    Influence and Charisma

    We all know someone who is charismatic. They have a charm that can inspire devotion in others.

    1 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了