Does this have to do with only leaders, and those working in Corporate offices? No. This is something that every single one of us get to enjoy in our day to day lives.

Can you get someone else to do anything just because you told them to do it?

It is never the case. Every individual needs to feel there is some benefit for them in what they are being asked to do, for them to do it. Parents find it the hardest to teach good habits to children as it is very difficult to quantify the long term benefits and explain them in a satisfactory manner to kids.

roles at workthat require a circle who can be influenced are

Broadly, they can be categorized into 3 roles.

1. Managers
2. Leaders
3. People / Projects driving a change / transformation

Outside of work, where and how do we see / exhibit this circle of influence?

1. Influencers or social media (Number of followers, Number of friends, Number of Likes etc)
2. Number of whatsapp group one is part of, and number of groups where one contributes (Admins in some groups)
3. Those initiating GoFundme projects for friends or families in need
4. School PTO organizations who have a large access to local community forums
5. School teachers
6. Local YMCA Initiatives
7. Global / local initiatives by religious institutions / groups
8. Local fundraisers
9. Parents and friends of school children
10. School Bake sales
11. … and many more

Some lessons learned in the process of increasing and sustaining your circle of influence

1. Communication is a critical element in maintaining your circle of influence. One-way or sometimes two-way depending in the need of the hour.
2. Providing clarity around the goal / purpose makes all the difference
3. Keep it simple – this theme works BEST every single time
4. Knowledge around how to create / leverage one’s network is key
5. As long as people align to the purpose, the progress towards the goal is easier. If the goal changes, it is hard to sustain the progress at the same pace
6. Usually the ASK is a small task / activity that requires a finite amount of work by a large number of people over a short period of time (maybe to accomplish a larger objective).
7. Restricting our ASK to aspects that one CAN control in simple terms helps!

How can we cultivate it?

When one is trying to grow up the managerial / leadership chain in an organization, being able to create and manage your circle of influence becomes critical. One need not wait to develop this skill at work, leveraging the opportunities outside of work in their day to day lives would help cultivate this skill as well.

For non-work circles, joining and participating in groups that share a common purpose / objective would be a good start. When you connect with a set of like-minded people, your contribution starts increasing naturally.

How many people in your circle can you influence today? Would they spend $1 when and where you ask them to – without questions? Would they do what you request and when you request them? Try it out!

We can expand our circle of influence by widening our circle of service!