This text is taken from the original draft manuscript of Influential Leadership: A Leader's Guide to Getting Things Done and is provided here to enrich your learning on the Strategic Influencer Programme.
Since Influential Leaders need to be passionate about their purpose in order to make swift progress, you need to do everything you can to cultivate the passion you feel about what you are aiming to achieve. When you have developed your passion, it will show and it will help you to become more influential.
In a work context, passion is an intensive emotion compelling unusual levels of excitement for a particular subject, cause or purpose. It goes beyond simple motivation and Read MoreThis text is taken from the original draft manuscript of Influential Leadership: A Leader's Guide to Getting Things Done and is provided here to enrich your learning on the Strategic Influencer Programme.
Besides building and protecting your motivation, it is also important to be aware of the diverse range of events that might happen which could seriously affect the pursuit of your purpose. Consideration of these now can enable you to be more proactive and reactive in the face of these events.
The severity can range from mildly frustrating to “show stopper” level. At the opposite end of the spectrum, other things can happen which can dramatically improve your prospects. Often, at first sight, they have only a minor connection with what you are engaged in. Being prepared for these, spotting them when they occur and responding to them well is an important part Read MoreThis text is taken from the original draft manuscript of Influential Leadership: A Leader's Guide to Getting Things Done and is provided here to enrich your learning on the Strategic Influencer Programme.
Before you get too carried away by your purpose, remember that Influential Leadership needs to balance longer term progress with short term results. The chief risk that you face is not being able to devote enough time to working on your purpose because of the demands you face right now. Losing your position because of poor performance is unlikely to help you progress towards your purpose – unless you are heading into a completely different arena.
Assuming that you are already working in the arena you want to Read MoreThis text is taken from the original draft manuscript of Influential Leadership: A Leader's Guide to Getting Things Done and is provided here to enrich your learning on the Strategic Influencer Programme.
You need to define your purpose in a manner which is appropriate for you. What is right for you will depend on many factors including your experience, age, values, position, responsibilities, capability and ambition. To make the most of the contents of this book, your purpose needs to be sufficiently stretching to mean that you will be stepping out of your comfort zone. It will need to be something which will force you to think differently either about your current role, or take you into uncharted waters entirely.
You will need to take a sensible view on Read MoreThis text is taken from the original draft manuscript of Influential Leadership: A Leader's Guide to Getting Things Done and is provided here to enrich your learning on the Influential Leadership Programme.
You can only be an Influential Leader if you have an ambitious purpose, and get moving.
To become an Influential Leader you need to develop a clear long-term vision and also be realistic about how you are going to free up time to begin making progress. That means you have to also focus on your short term objectives and make sure you don’t miss anything critical. The grander your purpose, the more influential you will become – provided you are also making progress at the same time. Read More