Influence is the magical part of leadership.

Influence is the magic that allows leaders to convert Vision and Desire into amazing actions and thrilling accomplishments.

So...How does one positively Influence others along the road to success?

Q: Does one need to be Intelligent?

A: Yes.

Q: Does one need to master Self-Control?

A: Yes

Q: Does one have to have Integrity?

A: Yes...if the success is to be constructive and sustained.

Q: Does one have to know People, Processes, & Situations?

A: Yes.

Q: Any other things?

A: Yes...here's 5...and here's 5 more...and here's another 5...and there's more.

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What do the wise have to say about Influence? 

My favourite inspirational educator, Napoleon Hill said...

"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another."

One of my heroes, Napoleon Bonaparte, said...

"The herd seek out the great, not for their sake but for their influence; and the great welcome them out of vanity or need."

Dale Carnegie, who wrote the book on how to win friends and influence people, said...

“When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.” 

Clint Eastwood, a widely respected Hollywood icon, said...

"It takes tremendous discipline to control the influence, the power you have over other people's lives."

And an unknown author said...

"Influence may be the highest level of human skills."

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If you want to be a great leader, or a good leader, or even a leader who accomplishes a few meaningful things...it's tough to argue that last point.

PS: Sustained positive Influence is the cause that leads to trust.

If you want to lead change and influence others to help you achieve the success you desire, consider these things:

• Your Intelligence - This is a tough one! How can you be objective? How can you know whether or not you have the intelligence required to be a successful leader? Here's a few suggestions: (1) view this as a life-long process, work at self-knowledge, & figure out how to measure accurately [then you will be able to apply these things to understanding others], (2) ask for input from others then consider it from different perspectives [as examples, subjectively and objectively], (3) have at least one mentor...intelligence is not fixed - it is something you can expand if you work at it.

• Your Self-Control - There are two dimensions: (1) short-term control over emotions, feelings, thoughts, & actions and (2) 'Grit', the ability to control thoughts and actions so they align with personal Values, Vision, Rules, & Goals. 'Grit', as defined here, is the thing in you that determines whether or not you can illustrate Integrity to others and whether or not you have the conviction required to achieve your Desires.

• Your Talents & Strengths - understand them in detail, use them to perform specific Tasks [Take Talent To Task], align with other people who can cover your weaknesses with their Talents & Strengths...figure out how to effectively Influence those people.

• Your Emotions - Another tough one! Start by defining Emotions and how they differ from feelings, moods, and other mind states. Seek help from others who can observe you in a variety of Situations: under heavy workload, under stress, under assault [for example, while being criticized]. Assessments can help identify your weaknesses. Major weaknesses must be corrected. If they are not you will violate sacred things like Integrity and your stated Values...violations will destroy followers' Trust in a blink. 

• Your Thoughts - Seek Simple, seek clarity, & consider the stories that touch you. Are you naturally optimistic or pessimistic? Work on being more optimistic. Are you naturally interested in other People? Work at being more interested. A leading Attitude is essential. Understand how human brains work. As an introduction: work at improving your ability to focus, initiate, plan, organize, shift, monitor, & regulate.

• Your Desires - these must mesh with your Values, Vision, Rules, & Goals. You must also understand them thoroughly. You must be able to communicate them with ease and with examples [stories work best].

• Your Actions - and the Actions you must do to deliver value, lead others, inspire others, influence others, and help others. 

I think people have a built-in need for Integrity.

Then - so very often - we cause them to violate it. 

We do this in subtle, unplanned ways.

We create work environments that conflict with their inherent Integrity. We construct tasks that do not fit their Integrity. We communicate in ways that offend their Integrity. And we promote situations that encourage and sometimes force them to act in ways that violate their Integrity.

Integrity is a personal thing. Yes, it has common threads that bind us. Call them cultural or community threads.

Yet, Integrity is a personal egoic thing.

Unfortunately, most people struggle with it rather than work to understand it. Most people don’t even take the time to define Integrity. Yet, they place high standards of it on others.