Choose Your Influence Carefully
It doesn’t matter who you are, how much money you make, what part of the country you live or who you hang with.
You have influence.
I was reminded of this recently when the keynote speaker at our nationwide event started talking about “bringing the weather”. Every time you enter a room you have the choice… the opportunity… the POWER to help define what sort of weather you are bringing along with you.
It is not easy to take a verbal beating from an unhappy customer and then shake it off and walk into the next appointment with a smile on your face. But what you bring in the room is what the people there will remember about you. Don’t allow the person who dumped their emotional garbage onto you to impact that next relationship.
You can make a difference in one person’s life just by showing up.
Why not use today to try a mini-challenge? Yes, today. After you read this I want you to check the space you are in at this moment. Are you grumpy, angry, furious, sad, joyful, hesitant? Acknowledge how you are feeling and then make a conscious choice to set that aside (if your “weather” is stormy) or fully embrace it (if your weather is “sunny”) and walk into your next interaction being intentional about leaving a positive energy in your wake! Leave the rain and storm clouds behind for just the next 30 minutes to an hour.
When you step back to pick up that emotional baggage, see if it feels a little lighter. Once you learn how great it feels to stop letting others dictate your reactions, emotions, and what you bring to share with others you will realize you have all the power to create incredible influence in your life and the lives of those around you.
One word of caution. Influence can be a heady drug. Please wield it carefully. And don’t beat yourself up if you find you just aren’t strong enough to leave the frustrations at the door every time. Balance is about surrounding yourself with great people who can sometimes be there to help you vent and work through your thunderstorms when you just don’t have it in you to freshen your face and pretend it is all OK.
Lean into the fabulous network you’ve built by being intentional about the influence you bring to the room. Receiving is just as important as giving.
If you want to learn more about “bringing the weather” through transformational leadership you can check out Marli Williams and her blog here: https://www.marliwilliams.com/
