This article will provide insights into the following topics:
- What are the qualities that make an influential leader?
- Influencing characteristics
- Why are some people so influential?
- Characteristics of influence
- Qualities of an influential leader
Aim (WH Questions) :
The people who are successful in their life are always particular of what they want when they want, why it is necessary and how they are going to achieve it. The formula of asking the WH questions should be followed and advised by them to remember it. The vision is what keeps us going, no matter what the circumstances are going to be. The goal can be anything, but steps should be impactful enough to bring the dreams one step closer to reality. It is the first and foremost leadership qualities one must learn.
Consistency
Just by knowing what you want is the first vital decision to make. As mentioned earlier, regular steps will move you closer to achieve your goals. Being consistent without bringing any impediments into consideration is essential. Many people in this stage let their laziness and procrastination get into the way and remain stagnant or stuck. To avoid these, the easiest thing to do is keep visualising your vision constancy. According to the influential leadership theory, print your idea as a poster, paste it in your room, maintain a diary or affirmation journal which acts as a catalyst to motivate you.
Great Listeners
To go by the proverb, "Empty vessels make more noise," influential people usually act as if they are reserved introverts minding their own business. It is because they prefer more to listen than to speak. Listening to someone's experiences or problems is a trick to get them on your side. Apart from that, improving listening skills will encourage your habit of lending your ears to people who are needy henceforth making you an influential person. To be more precise, people in power like Presidents, Lawyers even Doctors must-hear people's concerns to provide an apt solution.
Knowledge Seekers
Listening and knowledge run hand in hand in many places. Listening to your guide's wisdom words, podcasts, motivational speeches anything can ignite or relight the fire of passion within you. A lot of learning happens from school, universities and real-life incidents where we observe a lot. Just textbook information is not knowledge. Wisdom pops out from anywhere at any moment and teaches you a life lesson to treasure until death. Therefore if you find yourself observing your surroundings than reacting, then it is one of the healthy signs you are influential enough.
Avid Readers
Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker with all the best qualities of an influential leader, quotes, 'Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.' As we are aware that reading increases our knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, the lesser-known fact is reading exposes us to different scenarios where unconventional techniques for problem-solving are available. It makes a person more creative, quick to respond and will have enough patience too. Reading overall strengthens the brain and also builds enough vocabulary to speak.
Best time managers
Time management is a process of organising what to do and when is the correct time to execute it. Many works have a different time to be performed. To be precise, the best time to exercise is in the morning rather than night. Therefore, a correct schedule with accurate time breaks can help anyone to become organised. It increases the productivity level and decreases procrastination to a great extend. Balancing work and social life is a Herculean task. With time management, anyone can do it correctly. It is a significant aspect of every 'What makes a person influential' essay found across the internet.
Nailed Communication Skills
Persuasion and influence are two areas great leaders, motivational speakers and people in power target in the audience. For executing this, developing communication skills with a wide range of vocabulary is vital to grab the attention of the audience. Conversations through social media, emails, texting is equally essential to manage contacts and spread messages. Be fluent in your mother tongue or the dominant first language, English.
Resilience
Resilience is a branch in psychology develops from childhood and reaches its peak in adulthood. The ability to bounce back from a failure, backstab or anything negative is resilience. We can say that the influential person synonym must be resilience as they face many hurdles throughout their journey. They will be often criticised, made fun of, fulled into controversies and failed by their closely-knit circle of friends and relations. They must always be ready to dismiss situations quickly and return to normalcy because we cannot control the events around us. However, we do have the capacity to react accordingly to it.
Social Intelligence and Empathy
As an influential person in society leadership qualities is a must. Social intelligence is the ability to react in a crowd without hurting anyone's feelings or emotions. In a group, there will always be people from different strata of life. In such situations, responding to others comments and being empathic whenever necessary is essential. It makes the person look polite, decent and trustworthy. Try to feel the emotions of your group members and reassure them. If they are stuck, resolve the problem and come out as the best problem solver. Above all, teach the value of social intelligence within your circle to promote the wellbeing of society.
Maintaining Self-Discipline
The qualities of an influential leader include sustaining a vigour self-discipline regime for mental, physical and emotional health. Controlling impulses will reduce the possibility of making rash decisions, showing anger/irritation to others etc. It helps in understanding yourself better and takes you a step ahead of becoming a better human. Mentally fixating on strengths will remove the weakness, fighting temptations will improve the habit of self-discipline.
Doubtless Risk-taker
Most of the risks taken by influential people are great leaps which makes them successful. Intuition with hard work in making the gut feeling real is the secret behind prominent personalities. Investing in a new company, share market, exploring a new field, dropping a job and getting involved in the freelance, anything which upsets the emotional, financial security will be as a potential risk.
Confident and Positivity
Successful people have an enormous amount of positivity within them. They refill it their cup of positivity thorough meditation, healing therapies, Yoga which replenishes their soul and body too. Influential people like Barak Obama radiate a great deal of positivity which is infectious to the mob. "Idle mind is devil's workshop", therefore maintain a busy, organised life to be confident and to brim with happiness.
Conclusion
Remember, we are normal humans born and brought with the same IQ levels. We differ only by certain qualities or characteristics which makes one influential and the other common man. These are the few characteristics of an influential person. If you at least five qualities checked, fret not! Others try inculcating the habit of following few of these to walk in the correct pathway to achieve your dream and success.
Co-author: Akshaya Saravana Kumar
Akshaya is currently pursuing a Masters in English Literature. She is an avid reader, an animal lover and a movie freak. She loves to spend her past time travelling to strange places in different time zones with her imagination and fall in love with fictional characters.