It’s about Influence

If you haven’t checked out Brené Brown’s new podcast Dare to Lead on Spotify, it will be well worth your time to do so. Her work has transformed my life by giving me vocabulary, perspective, and structure that has clarified and broadened my values and beliefs. Recently, she interviewed Abby Wambach on her program. They explored the main points in Abby’s book Wolfpack. One of the Wolfpack rules that spoke to me is “Leading from the Bench”.  Abby compares the old rule of waiting for permission to lead to the new rule of leading now – from wherever you are. She shares about the last few games of her career having to come off the bench. She had a choice. She could let the new circumstances dictate her life or she could step up and do what she could, given the new dynamics.

In my present life, I have stepped away from being the one in charge. While it is taking some time for me to process the change, it is clearer to me that real leadership isn’t about control, it’s about influence. When we embrace this truth, we actually open the door to utilize our skills and talents in meaningful ways. Even though we often have no direct control of the events going on around us, we can:

·       Show up with an attitude of hope and gratitude

·       Look for ways to serve

·       Listen more intently

·       Speak up when necessary

·       Encourage others

·       Create new things

·       Extend grace to those with whom we disagree

·       Find ways to strengthen and grow our relationships

We could create a huge list of options here. What is important is that we each choose to be present and involved daily. Use your influence to make a difference, big or small. If we all step up and do what we can, the cumulative impact will be phenomenal.