The influence story #3 | Karen Knight

I had a friend who is a big into hiking. Going up the mountains and climbing... trekking. She was telling me about a place quite close to where we lived and she said, "oh! you've got to climb up. There you've got to go and see the view of the water from the top of this Mount Finlayson!", I only said "OK, I'll do it!". She wasn't able to go so I was going to be by myself - just to tell her that I did it and it was fine. I got there one day and pulled up. There were a fair number of people going at about the same time.

I am not very good shape, this was really a dumb idea - yet, I started up the trail. Not far in front of me, was an older lady and she was quite heavy. She was huffing and puffing - I got a bit of pride and I wasn't going to quit before she did. She never quit. She climbed right till the top of the mountain. The view was worth it, it was beautiful and we took pictures and spent some time.

"Thank you"..."For what?"

Then we all went down and the heavy lady also got down, she got in her car and drove away. I was getting ready to get into my car and this young girl comes up to me and says "Thank you!". I said, "For what?" and she said "well, I didn't really want to climb the mountain, my boyfriend made me. I saw you up ahead and I said well, when you quit, I will! I was so glad to thank you!".

I stopped there and I was just stunned because I was influencing someone without even knowing it and the lady that I followed who was influencing at least two people there may have been somebody following that girl who talked to me. She never ever knew it!

You could make the most amazing changes to the world and not even know it

You could make the most amazing changes to the world and not even know it - just be strong and do what is right because you never know who is watching you.

- Karen

About Karen:

Karen Knight, DTM is a Past District Director - District 21 (Canada) and an avid Toastmaster since 1995. She has recently received her second DTM title and has finished the Competent Communicators manual at least 10 times. She is extremely amiable and a fantastic storyteller. She told me lots of stories about different influences. I am thankful to her for sharing these inspiring stories.

Actions, Purpose and Excellence | Chandrashekhar DP

The leaders across the globe project various methods of influencing people, public speaking is one of them. When I asked about the same, CSK had a unique opinion. "I believe influence happens a lot by one's actions than anything else. When executing, individuals are extremely creative and adaptive." I couldn't agree more on the fact that one's actions have great power to create the influence that words cannot. "When we watch a sports player perform exceptionally well, we often start picking up fine nuances from his craft and internalise them into our being. This simply put, is influence by actions." summarised CSK.

"It is the purpose that gives a leader clarity, conviction and courage for his/her actions."

Having said that, there is a possibility that different types of people may have various ways of influencing people around them. This is often owing to the different leadership styles. Such differences may result in a conflict. Under such circumstances what could be a plausible solution?

When asked, CSK replied "I think this variance is the most common of the real world problems. Some leaders subscribe to a populistic style and remain democratic in their actions, while others may choose to be autocratic in their outlook. These viewpoints and styles often conflicts one another. Whatever maybe the path chosen, a leader should always remain conscious of the purpose behind the action to be able to remain successful and deliver value." He further emphasised that it is the purpose that gives a leader clarity, conviction and courage for his/her actions. "There might be multiple ways to get to a destination, but if you are anchored to the purpose, you will manoeuvre any/all situations.

"The best way to begin influencing people is to start by influencing yourself."

CSK concluded on a rather optimistic note for those who seek to become influential. He said, "often people presume it is quite daunting to influence others. That is not true. To influence people, you do not need an eligibility/qualification or the grace of a position. The best way to begin influencing people is to start by influencing yourself.” A simple example is the fact that every time you want to do a particular thing, you head a variety of voices. One might tell you to push it forward (read: procrastinate) and the other might inspire you to act immediately. If we commit to action immediately, we end up influencing ourselves and the task gets accomplished. This is the simplest way to become an influencer.

To me, the key takeaways from this water-cooler conversation (13 Jul, 2018) with CSK are:

1) The hidden power of influence in our actions

2) One’s ability to influence self and others

3) To remain anchored to purpose in your actions.

About CSK:

Dr. Chandra Shekar DP is a Past District Director - District 98 (East and Central India) at Toastmasters International. He has worked at the intersection of education and entrepreneurship for more than 12 years. CSK, as he is popularly called, has consistently advocated for people to be driven by ambition and the pursuit of excellence.