Interesting Read # 4: Leading a Life of Good Influence

Here is another management digest i want to share to all of you, this is about Lading a Life of Good Influence. This article is by the famous John Maxwell.

In the classic Christmas film, It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is given a tremendous gift:

the opportunity to see what life would be like without him. As he wanders through a world that

has no memory of his existence, George is dismayed by the plight of his friends and family. Devoid of his influence, their lives lack the warmth and richness he is accustomed to seeing. As George struggles to come to terms with his bleak surroundings, Clarence, his guardian angel, sums up the lesson that he hopes George will absorb from the experience.

3 Basic Truths about Influence

1. Everyone has influence.

There's no denying the influence one’s life has on the world. In fact, sociologists tell us that even the shiest introvert will influence 10,000 people over the course of his or her lifetime. Our lives shape the people around us in profound ways. Whether we intend to or not, we affect others through our influence.

2. We choose the nature of our influence.

We have freedom to select the influence our lives exert on the world around us. Our backgrounds vary, as do the environments in which we live. Yet, at the end of the day, we all have a personal responsibility for the way we conduct our lives. As my friend John Wooden says, "There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you."

3. We have to work to earn the influence we desire to have.

While everyone exercises influence, the size and strength of our influence depends upon our effort. No one leads well without paying the price of discipline. As we push ourselves to grow and to learn, we enlarge our sphere of influence.