Powerful people have a strong point of view. They lead with clear direction.
Are you powerful?
If you want to be perceived as a leader, you must establish a reputation as a confident and knowledgeable expert with the experience to guide others.
You can become more powerful. In many situations, if you want to gain influence, you must become more powerful.
To be powerful, you must:
1. Be prepared to lead. What will you say to inspire this leadership? What do you confidently know is true, based on your unique knowledge and experience?
2. Be ready to make decisions. How do make your most powerful decisions? What are those decisions based upon?
Do you naturally use Power? You can find out whether Power is your Primary Advantage here, by taking the Fascinate Test and getting your free Rapid Profile. If Power is your Primary Advantage, you have a strong sense of control and authority.
What if Power is NOT your Primary Advantage? Can you grow your strength and influence? Yes, absolutely– if you create messages that gain control of your environment.
This is easier than it seems. You will start by subtly applying your opinions of authority.
YOUR “OPINIONS OF AUTHORITY”
You already have opinions. But you probably aren’t articulating them to build your influence with the Power Advantage.
An “opinion of authority” is a strongly worded viewpoint.
It is not a statement of fact, but rather, a firm belief that reflects your expertise. It must be rooted in your area of experience, and reflect a personal sentiment. It can also be contrarian, or counter intuitive. Remember, the Power Advantage isn’t always about building consensus, but about increasing your personal influence.
Your opinions of authority shouldn’t be obvious. In fact, the more distinctive your point of view, the more memorable it will be.
You won’t stand apart from your competition if you don’t first take a stand.
What do you believe with such conviction that you can advise your customer with full confidence?
EXERCISE: BUILDING YOUR OPINIONS OF AUTHORITY
To be perceived as powerful, find the opinions that you can stand behind confidently, and emphatically. Increase the perceived difference between you and others.
START THINKING ABOUT YOUR OPINIONS.
Let’s begin by jotting a list of your own personal opinions. Your most opinionated opinions. You know you have them… and now it’s time to clarify precisely what they are. (Look, don’t be shy. Write them down. It’s just us here.)
Give yourself permission to exert your beliefs.
A PLACE TO START: THE STATE OF YOUR INDUSTRY
Imagine a new employee asks you to lunch, to learn from you. They have less experience than you, and they want to understand the potential pitfalls of your industry. What warnings would you give about the way that business is usually handled in your industry?
FOUR QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:
The biggest problem in the industry right now is:
____________________________________________________
The way I would fix this problem is:
____________________________________________________
Things used to be better when we used to:
____________________________________________________
The best improvement we could possibly make as an industry would be to do this:
____________________________________________________
This is a place to start. Continue to develop your opinions of authority.
Take a stand.
Stand out.
Now, it’s your turn. What’s an example of YOUR opinion of authority?
Tell me here, in the comments below!
