Harnessing the Power to Influence Others Positively

Introduction

The obvious fact that we are living in a world where people influence us and we influence other people, cannot be over emphasized. Whether or whether not we wish to influence other people, we do so anyway; directly or indirectly, positively or negatively, actively or passively. For this reason, there is a need to harness the power to influence other people. The emphasis on harnessing the power to influence others positively is due to the fact that “whatever is worth doing, is worth doing well.” If we must take up the task of consciously influencing people, then we must be able to influence them rightly.

To influence positively implies showing other people the right path that will eventually lead them to greater achievements. As against influencing other people negatively, influencing people positively implies transferring the qualities in us that are desirable, to other people. When we become conscious of the influence we have on other people, then, we can take proper decisions on how we influence them; whether positively or negatively.

The Intense Desire to be Influenced

Apart from the natural capacity to influence people around us, there is a natural capacity also to be influenced, an innate desire that makes man seek to be influenced by others. In the process of socialization, it is recognized that man is able to pick up even the most minute details in his environment. As such, getting influence from people in one’s environment is almost an automatic process. Also, there is a tendency for people to seek to be influenced by people whose behaviour and characteristics are desirable to them.

Sometimes, the desire to be influenced becomes intense and makes people align themselves to particular people, ideologies, philosophies etc. The interesting part of this desire is that as much as you desire to be part of a particular person’s team, people also desire to be part of yours. As you harbour the intense desire to be part of an ideology, people also harbour the intense desire to be part of yours. The knowledge and awareness of this is enough advantage to let you know that there is a need to harness the power to influence other people positively.

Influencing in Order to Grow

The process of influencing other people is not a one-way traffic. It is something cyclic, such that, as you influence others, they also influence you in one way or another. This means that there is an exchange of influence between the two parties that are involved. Even when one contributes majorly in influencing another, there is still a percentage of influence that comes from the subordinate which is transferred to the major influencer.

Growth, then, becomes a given in the presence of influence. When we take up the task of influencing other people positively, then it becomes an avenue for conscious growth in different aspects of our life. In fact, if we desire to grow all the more, we must be ready to harness the power to influence other people positively in order to grow positively too. What then does it mean to harness the power to influence others positively?

How to Harness The Power to Influence Others Positively

Harnessing the power to influence others positively implies taking the necessary steps to create the opportunities to influence people and actually do it rightly. To harness this power, it is necessary to build up oneself first of all. It is impossible to influence other people positively from an empty self. This means that one who wishes to influence others positively must be full of value and positivity. With this at hand, it is then possible to disseminate what one has to other people effectively.

It may sound confusing to describe this ability to influence others as “power”. However, it is power, because, despite the natural ability of man to influence and to be influenced, those who can consciously work with this ability and utilize it at will are those who can yield the best results from their influence. It is possible to wield this power and utilize it at will, especially in dealing with those you wish to influence.

The whole process can begin from a decision to grow, coupled with the decision to help other people grow with you. Harnessing the power to influence others positively should not be confused with manipulative behaviour. The desire and power to influence is a mission that flows from the heart of an altruistic person who wishes to contribute to the world through self-giving. To harness the power to influence other people means being ready to be part of a team, to lead a team and manage a team of like minds.

Wielding the Power to Influence Others Positively

Harnessing the power to influence other people positively is a process of nurturing and can be considered a first stage. Once the power is harnessed, the next thing to work on is how to wield this power. It is necessary to learn how to wield this power because it comes with a lot of opportunities and drives. Having large followership and knowing that you can influence people can be a disadvantage if it becomes a source of pride or a distraction to the noble tasks one intends to achieve.

Wielding the power to influence others requires some level of discipline in order to remain on the right path of influencing positively. The tendency to tilt towards the negative becomes much when the power to influence is harnessed, as such, some decisions have to be taken to foster focus on the “good” goals that have motivated the series of actions that eventually make one desire to influence others positively.

Conclusion

Charlie Jones’ statement that “you will be the same person that you are five years from now, except for the persons that you meet and the books that you read” shows the great power of influence in the world. That we change, know and grow can all be attributed to the power of influence. In the journey of life, we are influenced by so many people and we also influence so many people too. It is wise, then, to make sure that those we influence are positively influenced.

Identifying other influencers who are willing to create so much positive impact through their activities, is a wonderful venture in the life of an influencer. There is a need to network with people of such capacity as they will be propellants in the task of achieving so much in the task of trying to influence. They will also turn out as propellants in the process of achieving set goals and hitting targets. With positive influence at heart, we can eventually attract positive people, spread positivity and experience positivity ourselves.