Post #75 Increase your Leadership Qualities
Stop and think about how many people in your life you try to influence. Let’s start with family members, classmates, professors, friends, potential employers, etc. Stop and think about the tactics you use and how effective they are. I am going to share some useful information to help you understand how to influence others.
Self-Respect
Firstly, it’s probably safe to say that you would like others to respect you. It’s also safe to say that respect has to be earned. One of the best ways to earn another’s respect: you must respect yourself first. You cannot expect others to show respect for you if you aren’t showing respect for yourself first. In general, you will show others how to be treated based on the way they see you treating yourself. So, it is essential you treat yourself with the utmost respect. And, if you value who you are as a person, respecting yourself will come naturally, which leads to my next point.
Self-Worth
Secondly, your self-worth is going to set the tone for the way others will treat you. If you think highly of who you are as a person and as a being in this world, you will have high self-worth. This is not to be confused with arrogance (see Post #35). Arrogance is comparing yourself to others and believing you are better. Self-worth is equivalent to self-confidence: it is your own opinion of YOU. And it is completely permissible, in fact encouraged, to possess high self-worth. Your opportunities will expand as you believe in yourself and graciously accept that failure is part of learning.
Own your Mistakes
We are humans, humans are flawed and therefore you are flawed. You will make mistakes, you will not always have the best judgment and you may at time disappoint others. That is part of our human existence, all of us will experience these things. And guess what – you’re not going to die. Owning up to your mistakes and your decisions is one of the biggest signs of maturity. It’s not always easy, but when we take responsibility for our actions, we are teaching others by example. So, if you mess up or fail or say something regrettable, be a grown up and own it. A key concept when learning how to influence: own your mistakes.
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