5 Ways to Become a Woman of Influence

Do you ever wonder how those who are the true powerbrokers came to be?

You know who I’m talking about.

They are the ones others want in the room when there’s an important decision to be made or the ones who are called upon for top assignments.

The powerbrokers….

Others seek their counsel, and when they share their ideas, people listen.

These influential players end up being seated in high places, both literally, in terms of their positions and status and figuratively, in terms of how others view them.

If you’d like to raise your value on the influence meter and become a powerbroker in your own right, here are a five tips that will lead the way. #

1: Be the one who believes in what’s possible.

“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” — Elbert Hubbard

It is easy to become conditioned to being a naysayer, especially if you work in a toxic or negative work environment. These types of environments are filled with people who often look for reasons to shoot down every possibility. Don’t be one of them. Chose to be the person in the room who looks for the “why” instead of the “why not”.

Here’s a quick chart to help you to see and feel the difference.

#2: Let your commitments and your words be clean, direct and meaningful.

“People will follow you when you build the character to follow through.” — Orrin Woodward

If you want to be influential, you have to give others a reason to believe in you. So, be sure that your words are clean and direct. When others make requests, don’t leave them with vague responses. Let them know exactly what they can expect. Watch out for words like, “I’ll try”, “Should” or “Might”.

If you are tempted to use these words in conversations, replace them with clearer terms. Instead of “I’ll try to get back to you later,” say “I’ll call you back by 4:00 today”. And then make sure that you do!

#3: Be the one who truly listens.

“The real beginning of influence comes as others sense you are being influenced by them – when they feel understood by you – that you have listened deeply and sincerely, and that you are open.”– Stephen R. Covey

We engender the trust of others when they feel valued, seen and heard. It’s a simple desire but one that is routinely unmet for many. If you train yourself to put your own thoughts and desires aside long enough to truly hear the heart of another person, you too will become an amazing powerbroker.

The next time you’re in a conversation with someone or in a meeting, challenge yourself to truly attune to the words and positions of others.

Listening from a deeper place with a willingness to understand will always place you as the one to trust.

#4: Be steady and sure.

“By bettering ourselves we can influence the rest of the world to follow. Be the stillness in the storm and soon others will gather to seek solace in your presence.” — Elm Valle

One of the most important things you can do in order to garner more influence is grow your own confidence and in order to do this, we focus on two key ways.

First, you want to be the life-long learner who’s constantly investing in your own development, both personally and professionally. Read the book, take the course… continue to grow.

Secondly, you want to grow your confidence in life itself. Your belief in that something greater will give you the reassurance that ultimately all is well. If you adopt the belief that somehow everything is working out on everyone’s behalf, then you’ll sweat less and trust more. People will yearn to be in your presence — and they’ll call on you when the going gets tough.

#5: Stay in self-reflection mode.

“You can’t light another’s path without casting light on your own.” — John C. Maxwell

Those who are self-aware will ultimately rule. These are the true powerbrokers. When you are self-aware, you are in tune with how you’re showing up, you understand what you bring to the table, you’re aware of your potential pitfalls and you have a clear sense of how you can improve.

Being self-aware will make you highly valuable to others because they will see you as real and wise. And self-awareness comes from constantly being in self-reflection mode.

In this mode, you ask yourself questions like, “How can I make this better?” or “How did I contribute to this?” or “What am I not seeing here?”

These questions will not only lead to your continual improvement, but they will also lead others to trust in who you are.

You have the capacity to be as influential as you’d like to be. All of these tips are well within reach. Your job is to dive in and fine tune.

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If you’d like to learn more ways to enhance your professional presence and become a true power broker, then join me for the Brand True You Virtual Personal Branding Retreat on Saturday, February 24, 2018!

You’ll have the opportunity to really get clear on how you’re showing up and you’ll develop a personalized plan for maximizing your brand. The early bird rate of $97 ends on Friday, February 9^th.