Influence and leverage
Influence is rooted in belief.
Influence:
Influence refers to the ability to affect or change the behavior or decisions of others. It can be exerted through persuasion, authority, or example. Leverage refers to the ability to use a small amount of resources to control or influence a much larger amount of resources. In business, leverage can refer to using debt or other financial instruments to increase the potential return on an investment. In general, leverage refers to the ability to use something, such as power or resources, to gain an advantage.
how to increase influence.
There are several ways to increase your influence, including:
Building relationships: Building strong, positive relationships with others is key to increasing your influence. This can be done by actively listening to and understanding the perspectives of others, being dependable and trustworthy, and consistently demonstrating your expertise and knowledge.
Communicating effectively: Being able to clearly and effectively communicate your ideas and opinions is crucial for influencing others. This includes being able to articulate your thoughts in a clear, concise manner, as well as being able to listen actively and respond appropriately to the communication of others.
Building credibility: Establishing yourself as an expert or authority in your field can help increase your influence. This can be done by staying informed about current trends and developments in your area of expertise, as well as by actively contributing to the field through publications, presentations, and other forms of professional engagement.
Building a network: Building a network of contacts and relationships can help increase your influence. This can be done by getting involved in professional organizations, attending industry events, and making connections with people in your field.
Being Confident and assertive: Confidence is key to influence, people tend to trust and follow confident leaders. assertiveness is also important, being assertive means standing up for yourself and your ideas, expressing your opinions and needs clearly and directly, and being willing to take calculated risks.
Showing Empathy: Showing empathy towards others is a powerful way to build trust and influence. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. When you show empathy, people feel seen and heard, which makes them more likely to want to work with you and support your ideas.
It's important to note that increasing your influence may take time and effort, but by consistently working on these skills and strategies, you can improve your ability to influence others.
We earn or gain influence when we earn or gain respect and belief form someone else or ourselves. Self belief matters, it is the root of self-confidence, just make sure the belief fits nicely with the shared real world around us all. Respect is a personal bond or attraction to a growing belief in the potential of an entity to achieve what we feel we ourselves would want to achieve; business - authority - tribe - culture - ideology - pop group - football team or person, (could be ourselves). If we are respected then we have influence, even if we don't recognise it or want it.
Some people will bind themselves to respectable institutions in order to claim that they are as respected as an individual as the institution they connect themselves with.
We gain respect by doing something someone else agrees with, we gain admiration when we do that thing well. It can be good or bad so choose wisely with an eye on emotional self control with regards to helping or hurting.
how to measure influence.
We can get an idea of how much influence we have with any one person by noting how much of their time and energy they are willing to invest in our methods and theories. I measure influence using time and energy, (just like everything else).
If I have just shown someone how to save time and energy then I have gained that much time and energy worth of influence from them, for a while at least, unless and until the influence of another is greater than mine.
If I show someone how to save time and energy, but they have to invest additional time and energy to achieve that, then a measure of influence is the amount of extra time and energy that was invested in the process of change. If the change was worth it then influence grows and is reassured, if the change was not worth it then influence is diminished and challenged.
Leverage:
Leverage refers to the ability to use a small amount of resources to control or influence a larger amount of resources. Here are a few ways a person can increase their leverage:
Build a strong network of relationships and connections. This can provide access to resources and opportunities that would not be available otherwise.
Develop specialized skills or expertise that are in high demand. This can increase your value and make you more attractive to potential partners or employers.
Use technology to automate or streamline certain tasks, allowing you to focus on higher-value activities.
Build a strong personal brand that is associated with a specific area of expertise.
Form strategic partnerships or alliances with other individuals or organizations.
Invest in assets that generate passive income, such as rental property, stocks or bonds.
Be an early adopter of new technologies or trends.
Be able to negotiate effectively and make smart deals.
As with increasing influence, increasing leverage takes time and effort, and there are no shortcuts. It's important to focus on building long-term relationships and developing skills that will be valuable in the long run.
A lever has its uses.
A lever is a force multiplier where a little can outweigh a lot.
There is leverage in good order.
