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Do Not Make These Mistakes with Your Influence

Feb 26, 2024

Your influence over others is powerful and it is important to be sure to use your influence wisely so you are positively affecting others rather than negatively infecting them.  

  

There are mistakes and traps that are easy to fall into when it comes to your influence over others. Avoid them to ensure your influence is positive and beneficial. 

  

Mistake: Being ingenuine with your influence- You see this in social media and with celebrities a lot. Endorsing products, goods, or services that you do not use or believe in but want others to buy or use is not a proper way to use influence.  

  

Mistake: Using influence as manipulation- Influence is subtle and based on respect and trust. Trying to influence someone to do something for self-serving reasons is manipulative, not influential. 

  

Mistake: Using influence too soon- Everyone is on a journey and evolving. What they hold true at one point in time, may change. That is why it’s important to wait and fully develop your thoughts, ideas, and experiences before influencing others. Be confident in what you say, do, and how you express yourself because you never know who is watching.  

  

Mistake: Being self-righteous or closed-minded- When you believe you have all the answers, chances are you do not. Trying to influence others by beating your chest won’t have the impact you hope it will. People resonate with confident people who are open-minded and good leaders who do not pontificate their thoughts and feelings. Do not confuse passion for a subject with having authority in it.  

  

Mistake: Not walking the walk- People look for consistency with influencers. Role models, great leaders, and icons put their money where their mouth is and do what they say they will. Make sure your actions agree with what you put out into the world. There should be continuity between what you profess to be true and how you live your life.  

  

Mistake: Being one dimensional- Life is multi-faceted and changes all the time. Who you were before may not be who you are today and who you will be in the future. Be well-rounded and showcase different aspects of your life so people have a clear understanding of who you are and what you love or stand for. Do not hide parts of yourself trying to showcase only a portion of who you are.  

  

Mistake: Using influence to hurt others- There is a difference between sharing information that warns people of potential hazards or problems and trying to cause harm. Cancel culture is a perfect example of using influence to try to ruin, discredit, or target something in persuasively negative ways. Be cautious of using influence to bully or overpower others.  

Your influence is powerful whether it is positive or negative. Be aware of mistakes you may be making so you can avoid having a negative influence on others. 


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