Influencers

While sitting in a highly rated restaurant with my wife and friends enjoying a great meal, a flash of light caught my eye several times.  My friend Joe said, “I don’t mind the videos, but do they need the bright lights”?  This caught me off guard as I turned to see a couple dinning and the man video recording while the woman ate and explained her meal sitting at a table just like every other patron.  Seeing my surprise, my wife said, “They are Influencers posting about their experience at dinner”.

Whether we realize it or not, business owners are people of influence.  This may be because of employees you have or by the nature of being an entrepreneur, but your opinion is often considered of interest (if not importance) by others around you.  We all have our own sphere of influence, but leaders tend to set trends and move people in a united direction to achieve certain mutually beneficial goals.  With this in mind, where are you leading your company, staff and community?  

Entrepreneurs are typically giving people, even at times when they may not realize it.  They give of their time, effort, knowledge, experience and money to move clients and employees to profit the enterprise they wish to build. Although at times this is unnoticed, the undercurrent of this drive towards achievement impacts (good and bad) the lives of those we interact with. “Givers” are people of influence.  Knowing this, where are you taking the people who are moved by what you do?

There is a big picture at stake and as professionals we tend to put our heads down and go-go-go.  At times this kind of zeal is necessary, especially in emergent situations.  But to be successful in the long term we must keep our heads up looking towards the future while we brick-by-brick build a solid foundation that our business can thrive upon.  Knowing why we do something is more important than the how, when or what.  Casting a vision for those around us to grasp and run with will provide motivation, but it’s the influence you have that will ultimately determine the quality of your enterprise and subsequently your life.

Here are some concepts to help in achieving the ideal goals for your life:

1. Plan where you want to be and think with the end in mind.

2. Take action and keep moving.  Nothing happens unless you are in motion.

3. Stay the course, show your team focus that leads to excellence.

4. Integrity.  Walk in a way that is upright and dependable, even when it is not convenient.

5. Commitment.  Don’t waiver from your core values and people will appreciate you.

6. Care.  Understand, then be understood.  Give the people around you the patience and empathy they deserve.

“To be successful in life is to be helpful caring and constructive, to make everything and everyone you touch a little better” – Norman Vincent Peale