The Law of Influence

The True Measure of Leadership is Influence – Nothing More, Nothing Less

If you don’t have influence, you will NEVER be able to lead others.

The five myths about leadership:

1. The management myth
   1. Leading and managing are not the same.  Leadership is about influencing people to follow while management is about maintaining systems and processes.  A leader can bring about positive change, a manager cannot.
2. The entrepreneur myth
   1. People may be buying what an entrepreneur is selling but they aren’t necessarily following him.
3. The knowledge myth
   1. Knowledge may be power but that power does not necessarily equate to leadership.
4. The pioneer myth
   1. The pioneer out front isn’t necessarily the leader.   A leader not only needs to be out front, but also needs to have people intentionally following and acting on his vision.
5. The position myth
   1. It’s not the position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position.

The very essence of all power to influence lies in getting the other person to participate.  If you can’t influence others, they won’t follow you.  And if they won’t follow, then you are not a leader

Several Factors That Make a Leader

1. Character – Who They Are – true leadership always begins with the inner person.  People can sense the depth of a person’s character.
2. Relationships – Who They Know – with deep relationships with the right people you can become the real leader in an organization.
3. Knowledge – What They Know – information is vital.  You need a grasp of the facts to develop an accurate vision for the future.
4. Intuition – What They Feel – leaders seek to recognize and influence intangibles such as energy, morale, timing and momentum.
5. Experience – Where They’ve Been – the greater your past challenges, the more likely followers will be willing to let you lead. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
6. Ability – What They Can Do – the bottom line is followers want to know whether you can lead them to victory.  As soon as they no longer believe you can deliver, they will stop following.