Truth #2: There Are People You Cannot Influence
Ria Story, Leadership Speaker, Author, Trainer
Develop the Team You Want to Lead. Become the Leader They Want to Follow. Become the Leader You are Destined to Be.® | Author of 15 Books | TEDx Speaker | Trafficking Survivor & Victim Advocate
Influence is one of the most profoundly complex, and at the same time, incredibly simple concepts. We all have some influence, yet we all want more influence. Simple. But who, how, where, when, and why we influence as well as how we in turn are influenced by others is incredibly complex because people are incredibly complex.
Influence is one of the most profoundly complex, and at the same time, incredibly simple concepts.
Situations are different. People are dynamic. Relationships are complicated.
THE LADDER OF INFLUENCE provides a powerful, yet simple framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence.
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” ~ Colin Powell
There are three truths you must know. (Truth #1 was covered in this edition)
Truth #2: There will be people you simply cannot influence.
These people do not share your values. Perhaps that near-retirement, fussy, been-there-forever person you work with isn’t interested in being influenced by a 30 year old with new ideas.
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They simply aren’t going to change, for you or anyone else, because they don’t value growth, change, or seeing things “get better.”
Perhaps the fairly new, young front desk associate you hired won’t read the personal growth book you recommended to her, although she won’t stop complaining about not being promoted quickly enough. She simply doesn’t value sacrificing her Netflix-every-night habit to invest in her own development.
You will be able to influence most people, but there will be a few who don’t want your influence. Don’t hate them, blame them, or fight them. They are heading in a different direction in life. It’s their life, and they get to choose the path they will travel.
Stay positive, stay true to your course, and keep climbing.
You may be surprised one day to discover you’ve gained influence with them simply because you refused to give up on doing the right thing and staying positive.
Like what you read? This was an excerpt from "The Ladder of Influence."
Tax Research & Special Projects Advisor at Taylor, Thompson & Hausman LLC
2yCorollary to "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is that "you can't teach a young dog old tricks" ... Sometimes judgment and experience still count in preventing a business from going down a "dead end street" that you've already been down before. Said another way ... not every "new" idea is really "new".
Experienced business development professional clinical research Phase I to Phase IV.
2yGreat post and thought, thanks.