The other night I was sitting around with some friends and the topic of worst-ever TV shows came up. It wasn't long until someone mentioned "Jersey Shore", which all of us laughed and/or moaned at. How could a bunch of knuckleheads reach that level of fame and success?? We didn't linger long on how Snooki and The Situation held so many people's attention for so long, but a few days later I thought a bit about it. Why indeed?
It dawned on me that for as long as that (fill in your own adjective here) show ran, its success rested on the fact that many in the show's cast were largely confident in themselves, and because many viewers were happy to watch them take the lead and make things happen, regardless of how ridiculous any of the antics may have seemed.
It's not unlike that in the non-TV world. I'm convinced that the people who are most confident are also most likely to win a degree of success, fame, power and/or fortune, if not a TV show. That's not to say they're necessarily right or good or ethical, but they are going to get what they want because of their high level of confidence.
And that show of confidence will most likely not elicit any kind of push-back from the people around them, because those people are either 1) not as confident in ability to successfully challenge their coworker, or 2) just apathetic.
So what can someone who's looking to expand their influence do? The "what" is relatively easy - act with confidence. Do that and most people will at least watch, if not follow. It's the "how" is more difficult.
So how to people gain a greater sphere of influence? There are lots of good answers, and to me 3 things jump to mind:
Being tactical in who you chose to include as supporters, influencers and aids. Who are the power brokers in your area, who are the ones who can help influence change, and who are the ones who would jump at the idea you have? Those are the key people to get on board.
Clarifying the problem you’re solving/goal you’re shooting for. The simpler the message the better. Yes you need a detailed plan to pull off whatever you’re aiming for, but it needs to be easily described and imagined.
Regularly putting word out about your success. Even if you’re not done, putting word out regularly about how your success is growing helps keep the dream alive.
Yes, there’s more minutia to the process, but the tactics are valid.
If you decide to go this route, just remember my favorite line in Spiderman: “with great power comes great responsibility”. Or put otherwise, solving the situation is more important than being The Situation.
Good luck out there!
