Book Summary Preview : Becoming a Person of Influence

The Big Idea

The power to positively change your life and the lives of others depends on the degree of your influence. For John Maxwell, leadership IS influence. Jim Dornan agrees. Without influence, success is impossible. Famous people like Madonna, John Grisham, Mother Teresa, Bill Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pablo Picasso and even Adolf Hitler are excellent examples of people with influence.

However, one need not be famous or be in a high-profile position to be a person of influence. Each person, whether he intends it or not, is an influencer. Parents wield influence over their children. Spouses influence each other. Teachers affect the futures of their students. Pastors impact their flocks’ lives. Friends and colleagues you interact with shape your opinions. You influence peers, superiors, and subordinates. As long as you relate with somebody, you are an influencer.

Becoming a person of influence is not an instantaneous process. It takes time, effort, and the practice of certain behaviors. The authors define influence using the following keywords:

4 Levels of Influence

The process of becoming a person of influence happens in stages:

State One: Modeling
Observe how children naturally follow what their parents do, not what they say. Adults are also influenced by what they see their role models, mentors, and peers do. When there is an obvious and consistent connection between your good words and your actions, people will consider you credible, and your power to positively influence them will grow.

Influencing by modeling can impact a lot of people-- those who are around you, and even those who see you from afar. Famous people can be role models on a global scale for both good and bad.

State Two: Motivating
The second level of influence requires a more up-close approach. You influence others by encouraging them and by communicating with them on an emotional level. This approach establishes connections and builds up people’s confidence. Practice this and your level of influence increases. You increase your power to positively change yourself and others.

State Three: Mentoring
Helping others reach their potential is the goal of a mentor. In this level, you need to be more focused on the individual whom you want to influence. You give more of yourself to your protégé, and help that person grow personally and professionally to reach a higher level of living.

State Four: Multiplying
As you work on positively influencing other people, you should aim for them to become positive influencers as well. You want them to pass on what they have learned. To achieve this requires a higher level of commitment, personal investment, and generosity with time and other resources than the three previous steps.

The higher you go in the level of influence, the more value you add to the life of those you choose to influence.

A Person of Influence Has… Integrity with People

The dictionary definitions of integrity are: “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; and honesty.” Integrity is a vital piece to achieving business and personal success.  Research studies conclude that integrity is the most needed quality to succeed in business. A person whose integrity has been compromised will find it extremely difficult to advance in any organization. . .

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