When people interact with others who
are in a position of authority we often feel a duty or obligation to comply
with their requests. It’s a very powerful influential principle and should not
be taken lightly. At the same time, if used appropriately if can lead to great
success.
First, don’t confuse the authority
approach of, “Because I’m your supervisor, mom, dad, etc”. Of course that is
the principle of authority at work as well, and by virtue of your role as
parent or boss it works, although not always and here is why. The principle of
authority is based primarily on perception, if others believe you to be
knowledgeable, trustworthy, wise . . . and you look the part, you will most
likely have the ability to influence their decision/behavior. This is why you
seem to have no influence with your teenage child. They think they know
everything, you know nothing, and their BFF is THE expert on relationships and
fashion. The same holds true for the rest of us, it’s the dentists who
recommend toothpaste, the doctors who recommend diet pills, supplements and
other pharmaceuticals, and athletes who recommend fitness equipment. Job
titles, uniforms, and even accessories, like the way we dress, and the cars we
drive lend an air of authority and can persuade others to accept what you say. Like
it or not you are being judged. If someone doesn't know you, they will often
judge you in a blink of an eye, a millisecond, based on what they initially see
or hear.
Certainly you've accomplished
requests made of you simply because it was your boss who asked. But what if
it’s your boss you are looking to influence, or your colleague, a customer, or
an entire community? “Because I said so.”,
probably isn't going to work. When I was the physical security officer for my
unit in Germany (pre 9-11), I had this crazy idea that when we would deploy for
military exercises, instead of loading up my security team into jeeps and
trucks, I was going to procure a military helicopter and escort our convoys by
air. Although my fellow lieutenants jeered me for even thinking the leadership
would allow this, much less be able to get my hands on an H-53 helicopter,
using my previous background as a Pararescueman, familiar with helicopter
deployment operations, as well as the logistics associated with scheduling
aircraft, I easily persuaded my leadership to allow it, and the flying unit I
approached to support it. Why did it work? a.) I had proven myself in the
position of security officer with much smaller tasks and responsibilities, b.)
My leadership was aware of my Pararescue background and experiences, sometimes
formally, sometimes informally through “war stories”. c.) I introduced myself
to the flying unit Director of Operations as a prior Pararescueman (if you are
not familiar with USAF Pararescue, I invite you to Google it and search on
YouTube for further understanding and why this helped to establish my
authority). And d.) I approached them all with a high degree of confidence and
professionalism.
Going forward, if you are going to
use the principle of authority to influence others, consider these points:
1. Know
your job better than anyone else
a.
Rule # 5 Create your own niche
b.
Rule # 6 Make it look easy
2. Dress
the part
a.
Rule # 7 Know you are being judged
b.
Rule # 13 Dress for success
3. Be
trustworthy
a.
Rule # 10 Live by a set of rules
b.
Rule # 20 Don’t gossip
4. Convey
confidence
a.
Rule # 8 Cultivate a firm handshake
b.
Rule #14 Know what you want
c.
Rule # 43 Don’t let the insecurities
of others affect your dreams
5. Take
100% responsibility for your actions (don’t blame or complain)
a.
Rule # 21 Don’t Whine
b.
Rule # 32 Never Lie
c.
Rule #38 Never stop learning
6. Monitor
your emotions
a.
Rule # 39 Practice quieting the mind
7. If
speaking to others who may not know you, attempt to have someone else edify
you.
a.
Rule # 30 Maintain a successes
portfolio
8. If
you are not the expert, find the person(s) who is/are to champion your cause.
Finally, if you want to learn more
about the science of influence, I highly recommend an expert blogger and
speaker on the subject of influence, Brian Ahearn. I especially recommend his
recent series on applying the principles of influence with different
personalities. You can read and subscribe to Brian’s blog Here.
Be
Extraordinary!
Founder
& CEO
Leader
Development Institute
www.LDiWorld.com
