Becoming a person of influence

Last Thursday was our first LPG meeting of the year. The topic is based on John Maxell's book: "Becoming a person of influence."

I believe every one has a circle of influence. Some circles are larger than others. To say some one is becoming a better leader is similar to saying that their circle of influence has expanded.

I remembered when I first join the board of directors of Diversity Council I had a relatively small circle of influence. A year later, I can honestly say that I am making a difference: My views, my suggestions and my actions are noticeably influencing the group. And I am grateful for that.

With the knowledge of Maxell's book now, I can make a case that how I (or anyone for that matter)gain influence in a new circle is traceable to Maxell's 4M: Model, Motivate, Mentor, Multiply.

Maxell says Model is Integrity. But what is integrity?

I have a simple formula: Integrity is aligning your actions with your intentions. Or put it more simply, follow through:

If you promise or imply that you will do some thing, do it.

My intention (and my hope) is that I am wise enough to only make promises that I can keep and that I keep the promises I have made. For the next two weeks, I will keep a mental log on how well I am doing in this area.

Our presentation deck has other suggestions for you to use to track your Integrity index.

You decide.