Posted by Luke in You have a group and/or crowd of people who listen to what you say. You may not be a grand level influencer but you have some influence. Here are seven reasons you are an influencer.
1. You can tell somebody something and they will believe you
I have dealt with this topic before. It’s a fact as far as I believe in facts. You can tell somebody something and they will believe you. There is a persistent rumour going around that Facebook was made by the CIA to spy on people. I was told this by a senior lecturer so I believe it. He is a very smart man and I respect him. He could be mistaken but the level of trust I have in this individual suggests otherwise.
2. They will tell someone and they will believe them
I have very annoying relatives. A lot of the time I get the whole, ‘when are you buying a house’ mishmash from them. In recent times I was asked, ‘so what are you going to do?’ I said, ‘I have something up my sleeve.’ This was not good because I was basically making it up. Yet, they believed me and persisted wanting to know what it was. Eventually, it was nothing. Yet for a while I had a captive audience. Another time I was put into the back of a police car out the front of my old house. The neighbour who knew my mother in law told her that I had been arrested. The day prior to that a rumour had circulated that we had financial problems. The rumour and the observed event compiled to create the new ‘reality’ that I was being arrested for robbery! I was just helping a friend who was busted for driving without a license. Yet, for a day or two I was a hardened criminal.
3. You are as good as your word
This is really related to integrity but if you have made predictions in the past and they become true you will eventually become a person of authority. If my students really new my past they wouldn’t take me seriously. Really, I mean who would work at a University when you could get a better paying job? Your word and what you say is so important that it build images of who you are in the minds of other people. Use your words carefully to paint the right kind of picture and you will have people believing everything you say.
4. Your actions speak loud
What you do is seen by people. No, not the people in the white coats. Real people. You may only be seen by five people or six people … BUT think of the network potential for that group. I know of some people selling pills door to door making money just through the people they have come to know. There are lots of ethical considerations here as well so watch out. What you do often influences people more than you realise.
5. Who you know defines you
If you have friends that associate with people you would like to influence these people define you. Your friends are influenced by you and you are influenced by them. I have friends that I have received job offers through and I have done similar things for other people that I know. Networking is really what makes the world go round. I think the majority of us what things to automatically appear each time. In reality they don’t. Networking is a group of people you have influence over.
6. You influence people you don’t know
If you swore or gave the finger to someone, were rude or whatever you have influenced them. Oh sure, people will be nice to your face but let me surface that hidden assumption for you: it’ s not what they say it’s what they ACTUALLY believe that matters. People say the nastiest things behind each others back. No doubt even if you were Mother Theresa they would do it. Really it’s none of your business so why worry about it. Nevertheless, you are an influencer to people you don’t know so maintain consistency in everything you do. If you are you all the time and you are a full-time moron … then that’s what people will say about you. If you do the right thing the majority of the time … chances are they will leave you alone. That said, being too normal also makes you a target.
7. You influence people by accident
I once read a study in a hospital where nurses were found to be causing major strategic problems and it wasn’t their fault. It was all because they weren’t signing papers or doing something that nobody from the strategic layer had told them to do. They were influencing the system. You influence the system on a day to day basis whether you recognise it or don’t. You influence it, shape it, guide it and are a apart of it. You can stop and do the fight club thing if you want but ultimately the system is influenced by you in some small way. For this reason, we make decisions all the time that influence others. Maybe subversively or whatever… it’s still true nonetheless.
Keep in mind that you are an influencer, you have a group of people you influence and who will listen and pay attention to you. Think about this in your own life. Who influences you?
Technorati Tags: influencer, Facebook, University, Networking, the system
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