The want to be perceived as a capable influential leader is there in many of the senior leaders I coach.
While most of them know how to become “capable”, becoming influential still stumps some of them.
While there are multiple ways to build influence, inherently, there needs to be a source of power that pulls it all through. Also called self power, its essence often shows up as an under-current in behaviour.
What are the top 3 actions if you invest your time & energy on today, that would lead you to this self-power?
1. Know your top 3 non-negotiable values & live them as if your life depended on it
Picture Courtesy: Barett Value Centre
Knowing what you value gives you clarity in thought, behaviour & action.
Your values act as a guiding light for authenticity and being you. All self power comes from who you are - your identity and your values.
If you do not yet know your values, yet, I highly recommend you take the Barett Values Centre quiz. What I love about this assessment is it elevates you to higher level of consciousness by inspiring you to pursue values on a higher plane.
This means, you have a path to build your power when you navigate the levels. You go from self interest to common good and in the journey. you develop your own power that serves not only you but others as well.
In self interest we are limited and in common good we become limitless. Traversing this journey makes you not only influential but a great human being
2. Regulate & Channelise your vital force within you
I feel I have this great creative and spiritual force within me that is greater than faith, greater than ambition, greater than confidence, greater than determination, greater than vision, it is all these combined. My brain becomes magnetized with this dominating force which I hold in my hand. Whether it is the godhead or not, I feel this great force, this untapped power, this dynamic something within me. This feeling defies description and no experience with which this feeling may be compared. It is something like a strong emotion mixed with faith, but a lot stronger.
~Bruce Lee All of us know that time is a fixed pie and energy can be expanded. If you can show high energy / unit of time, you are going to appear powerful because power is released when high energy shifts / unit of time (Physics brush up :-). Fundamental to a powerful presence is your ability to channelise your energy. So invest in energy regulating practices like Yoga, Taichi or whatever you believe in and learn to orchestrate energy on demand.
3. Create a compelling Vision
Do a little star gazing. Look at what you want to create for yourself with this life. Now expand it to include others in a way that every day of your life would become impactful not only for you but beyond you as well. Your vision should make you a little scared. When you are ready, have the courage to share it with people matter to you. Document it in whatever form that makes sense to you. When things don’t go well and sometimes they would, look at your vision and get inspired to wake up another day. When you brace challenges like this, you are a power magnet!
When you know your values, are able to channelise energy & have a compelling vision, who would not get influenced by you?
What's the one thing you are going to experiment with to increase your power?