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.

Thought Tweet #960 The great teachers didn't dwell on stress. They focused on the human virtues.

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

'Stressed' is a modern mindset.

Stressed: don't forget it's just a reverse palindrome for desserts.

Process - What does that mean?

Processes are sequences of tasks, performed by People or machines.

The sequences of tasks can be simple. For example, a Process might have 4 task-steps which are performed in series...in a defined chronological order...the next task starts after the current task is completed. Think of making cookies from a box of pre-mixed ingredients: that's a simple Process.

The sequences of tasks can also be complicated or complex. For example, sending a man to the moon and back involves numerous task-steps sometimes happening in simple sequences, sometimes happening simultaneously [co-existing], and sometimes causing real-time adjustments to other tasks [interactive co-existence].

Processes can be easy or most-challenging.

Processes happen in either planned or unplanned ways.

And, Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Process, & Situations.

People - What do they mean?

Now, isn't that a loaded question?

Yes...intentionally.

On the one hand, People are easy to define: they are folks just like you and me. 

On the other hand, each of us is unique.

While certain Processes are easy to define using words like simple, complicated, and complex, it is dangerous to assume such descriptions or definitions can be used with reliability when the topic is People. The word 'assume' was underlined to highlight the difference between assume and conclude.

With that done...

While certain Processes are easy to define using words like simple, complicated, and complex, it can be very helpful to conclude such descriptions or definitions can be used with reliability when the topic is People.

However, before concluding things about other People it is essential to know:

1. WHY it is wrong to assume but often helpful to conclude,
2. WHY you must conclude if you are to be successful at influencing people, &
3. HOW to go about assessing whether or not concluding fits the specific person and situation.