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Business Rule #18:
Use Influence to Lead
February 18, 2005
by Marlene Caroselli
“Leadership Is Influence. That's It. Nothing More. Nothing Less.” Is leadership guru John Maxwell wrong here? I doubt it. We've seen how one project manager after another has lost through his failure to exert positive influence, inciting Donald Trump to utter his worldwide words, "You're fired!" Such was the case with Todd Everett, Brian McDowell, Danny Kastner, and Kristen Kirchner.
Project manager Erin Elmore, in the last episode, may have led a team to equally shoddy ad results. But at least she led. She influenced them. She achieved esprit de corps. Kristen, by comparison, was a negative influence on her team. She's a non-stop bickerer, an acerbic arguer, a kabobbing kvetcher.
We've seen other influence efforts from Erin. Remember how she supported Danny Kastner as he tried to persuade The Donald to bend the exemption rule? Granted, they weren't successful, but they tried. They risked. They demonstrated courage and innovation. She showed courage again when she volunteered to be project manager in a field she knew nothing about. She must have influenced the boardroom biggies to some extent when she spoke up on her own behalf.
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So you want to be more persuasive yourself? Want to show your leadership at work? The best advice I can give you is to study what the big boys and girls do. Imitation is more than the highest form of flattery, after all. It's also the quickest way to excel at any given skill. You may have noticed that I incorporate quotes in my writing. Why? Quite simply, they lend greater credibility to my advice.
I know that my quoting famous people will help me to persuade you to the truth of what I'm saying. Can you do the same thing in your own life? Of course! But, you have to do a little reading first. Keep a file of some of your favorite quotes, especially those related to an idea you want to get others to accept. When the words of a well-respected figure mirror your goals, you will have the weight of wisdom on your side.
Beyond using quotes, what can you do to influence others? Let's take a look at what works and what doesn't. Perversity doesn't. Michael Tarshi, aka "Pig-a-Go-Go," can't seem to let go of his fixation on the opposite sex. Erin compares him—the laziest man in show business—to a five year old who needs constant supervision. She even wins high praise from Trump with her final description of Michael as a "boardroom cliché."
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Imitation is...the quickest way to excel at any given skill.
