How do you decide who to follow, who you will buy from, whose opinion you will respect, who you will learn from?
Do you base your decision on the number of likes or followers a person has on social media, or on how well known their brand is, or if they are famous and in the public spotlight? Or do you first seek to find out what that leader, influencer or teacher stands for — how they have chosen to contribute to the lives of the people around them, what they believe is important and what their values are? If this is the way you decide who you will follow, then it's probably also the way you want to lead and influence others. You want to become an influencer who stands for something, who will be there for people over the long term.
Do you want to change lives for the better, including your own, and to make a lasting difference? If so, you have the potential to be a leader and influencer others will choose to follow.
I believe this is the way many of us are now consciously deciding who we want to follow and whose influence we will accept. In recent years, and perhaps still today for some people, the idea of ‘influencers’ had negative connotations, bringing to mind social media celebrities doing makeup tutorials followed by millions on YouTube, the Kardashians on a reality TV show, Paris Hilton arriving at the latest party in a startlingly short dress, toned-up bodybuilders uploading photos of themselves, social media personalities aggressively promoting questionable advice. These really aren't the people who'll give the world a valuable and lasting legacy, are they?
The most important sources of influence, in my view, are increasingly individuals who are actually making a positive difference in the world — who encourage and empower others, whose opinions are progressive and inclusive, who stand up for diversity, who have the courage to call out inauthenticity and dishonesty, perhaps even challenging government or corporate unscrupulousness. Successful leaders and influencers, now and going forward, are those who are committed not only to making the world a better place, but to building strong character to lead others well.
In a decade that has started with the greatest upheaval in our lifetime, we want more from our influencers and decision-makers. Influence in the 2020s will be based on consciousness, progressive thinking, empathy, humanitarianism and strong character. We need leaders who will make a positive difference. And as leaders and influencers, this is what we should demand of ourselves. Whether in our own workplace or community, or in the wider marketplace, we want to invoke the power to successfully influence others and build trust in those in our sphere.
We want influencers and leaders who stand up for something beyond themselves, and we want to stand up for what we believe in.
What or who have we been following?
Have you ever felt that for too long we've been following organisations, governments, logos, brands and companies unquestioningly, that we've come to feel that these big names and organisations have too often let us down, that we can't always trust them and that they have no depth of character? People want to follow people, but they are looking for leaders who can clearly express what they believe in and show this through their actions. I see a shift building momentum, and the new era is all about what I call the profile economy.
When I was setting up my business, I started by building the product, the brand and the logo. But it wasn't quite working; I wasn't attracting enough people around me. It wasn't until I began to develop my profile that I started getting business, because people follow people. Potential clients first wanted to assess my character and what I believed in, and only then what I had to offer them.
Through this book, I will show how you can build your profile so you can successfully influence others, and become a leader people admire and respect. To win in the post-COVID world where influencers have so much power requires a focus on personal development, personal growth. The greatest way to build your profile as an influencer is to establish strong, lasting foundations.
Twelve seats at the table
Okay, that's easy to say, but how do you work out what your foundations are, or what they could be?
I like to use the metaphor of a table — a long table where you sit surrounded by your 12 most important attributes, beliefs and strengths. Chapter by chapter, we will explore each of these 12 seats or attributes. You can consider how they may fit into your life and how each might help you become an influencer who will be effective now and over the long term.
I grew up in country Tasmania as one of 11 children. With our parents we were a large family and at mealtimes we'd cram in around the kitchen table, all 13 of us at a table that was barely long enough to sit 12, but we all squashed in. Looking around at dinnertime, I'd see the people who meant so much to me. All these family members had their different personalities and characteristics. That image is one of the ways I visualise the idea of the 12 characteristics that has become so important in my life.
Looking around your table, you're not seeing big corporations, brands or political parties; you're seeing the faces of real people who matter to you. Think about individuals you know personally who you admire, leaders and influencers in your community or organisation who have inspired you. What makes them stand out as people worth following?
Let me introduce you to the 12 attributes sitting at my table and why I've chosen them above other possible alternatives.
Character before charisma
A lot of the time we follow people who have great charisma and engaging personalities, but I suggest we need to delve deeper to uncover what they believe in and stand for. We need to look at their character.
One time, early in my speaking career, I met someone who had amazing charisma; he was mesmerising and instantly won my full attention. Soon he had become my right-hand man and I was pushing him up on stage constantly as a speaker, and he was really good. I also spent a lot of time training and coaching him, and I was even considering handing over the reins to him to run the business for me. Unwisely, I hadn't looked beyond his impressive presentation to delve deeper into his character and what he actually stood for.
After about a year, I discovered my error the hard way when he set up his own company and tried to steal some of my clients. So right there I got burned. But looking back on that experience, I'm glad it happened. Because it taught me to screen the people I work with more closely. Charisma is a great trait that can take you a long way, but the first seat at my table always goes to Character.
Integrity before brand
Like charisma, brands can be appealing and capture our attention. If you want to succeed in business today, it's practically essential to build your own brand. However, brands are replaceable. They can quickly become outdated, then people lose interest and start looking for the next new thing. Integrity is a quality that lasts. Your own sense of integrity will be your guide in how to live, lead and influence authentically. Before building your brand, ask yourself what you stand for. What will you do to help others and why should others follow you? These days people look to leaders and influencers with integrity before they look to brands, even those that are traditionally trusted. Integrity, not a sparkling brand, has a seat at my table.
Vision before mission
We each need to define our big bold vision so we know where we're heading. Our vision is the thing that's waiting for us at the end of our journey. If it's
