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617. Creating a Company of Influencers: Why Everyone Matters · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the daily influence where our mission is to deliver a daily dose of positive influence that can uplift you personally or be shared within your sphere of influence.
• 0:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: While not every episode may directly apply to your unique circumstances, we strive to provide insights and inspiration relevant to most people's daily, weekly, and monthly lives.
• 0:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whether you are tuning in during the morning, noon or night, the daily influence is here for you.
• 0:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Listen, share, and embrace the power of influence in your life.
• 0:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hey everybody Brian Smith here with the I&Team series and your daily influence and today we are going to be discussing literally one of the most powerful ideas behind I&A and the I&Team series which is creating a company of influencers or getting everybody to understand that they are
• 1:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: I have stood on the tallest mountain, every soap box I can get on to by declaring that everyone matters.
• 1:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was the focal point of my TED talk if you really think about what the message was.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's the underlying foundation of the IM team and it's not just a theory, but it's really what we practice internally and as we go out to
• 1:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: provide positive and responsible influence to every client we have globally and I don't care if you're the CEO or the newest team member or a contractor that's thousands of miles separated from your teammates.
• 1:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: You have influence.
• 1:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't care if you're a ditch digger or a middle manager.
• 2:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: the people you interact with and the culture we build together is part of each of us.
• 2:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Building a company of influencers means recognizing that hierarchy does not determine impact.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Intention does.
• 2:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Influence isn't a title.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's a behavior and
• 2:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: in a truly flat aligned values-driven organization influence flows in all directions upward downward sideways and beyond.
• 2:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: It is the ripple effect that we keep talking about.
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Look, one of the most difficult challenges that I hear is that, well, you know, influence begins with responsibility.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: What does that mean to the people in my organization?
• 2:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, that's what it means.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: You need to drive that home at
• 2:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: their influence begins with their individual responsibility and in the I and team series we teach that while every individual has their influence, they are a source of influence, positive and negative.
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: So to create this culture of influence, it starts with helping each person understand that they are always influencing.
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're influencing right now and my mindset affects my behavior and also others
• 3:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: and my behavior shapes my team and their behavior shapes all of us.
• 3:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is the foundation of a flat organization.
• 3:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Personal responsibility is the great equalizer.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: When people see themselves as influencers, they will lift their own standards.
• 3:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: They will communicate with more clarity and they will hold themselves accountable
• 3:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that means as a CEO or leader, it's your responsibility to ensure that those core values in the mission is clearly understood, you own that influence.
• 4:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: And one of the ways that we can also flatten the structure, it's what we've done here at IA is by recognizing that value is not based on position.
• 4:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: But on contribution, everyone has an area of influence, whether it's an apartment, a project, a client relationship, a team, or simply the energy that they bring each day to create a company of influencers.
• 4:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: We have to name these areas of influence.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: We have to help people understand
• 4:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're influenced.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes people just don't get it.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: What do I do that adds to value?
• 4:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: They just do a job.
• 4:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: You need to convey to them early in their engagement in your organizations.
• 4:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: What their value is and how important it is.
• 4:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: I struggle with this in many of the industries we consult in.
• 4:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: People don't really value or understand the value they have.
• 5:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then we need to validate
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Give them recognition for it.
• 5:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let them understand it.
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: So many leaders are so fearful of helping their people understand just how valuable they are because they're worried that they're going to walk more money or walk more stuff or walk more something.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: You need to take yourself out of that mindset because the reality is when people start to understand how that value is spread out across the entire organization.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: And there is a contribution from everybody, they stop just thinking about themselves from that give me more mindset.
• 5:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that helps us to remove barriers that people put up.
• 5:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: It removes those barriers that prevent people from bringing their false strengths to the table.
• 5:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: It takes that confusion out of it.
• 5:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: It gives them an empowering understanding
• 5:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: of what they're doing, why they're doing in how they're helping others also.
• 6:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: In smart management terms, this is very specific.
• 6:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: It also provides that measurement that we need and how relevant they are at a very human level.
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: When people see the value of their influence, they step into it more intentionally, and that's what creates a resilient
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  [SPEAKER_00]: high performing culture.
• 6:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: And look, we hear about how can I build a culture in my organization.
• 6:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I just came away from a few days with a client at a remote location.
• 6:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's what we were talking about.
• 6:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: How do we build this culture?
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: We don't feel like we have one.
• 6:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Look, traditional organizations push influence top down.
• 6:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: We do the opposite.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: We teach the opposite.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: We empower
• 6:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: cross peers upward to leadership and outward to clients, partners, and the communities that they find themselves.
• 6:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: So a company of influencers encourages feedback without fear.
• 7:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're not afraid to hear if they're making mistakes.
• 7:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're not afraid to hear if the perception is they're not measuring out because it gives them something to be smart about and to move up
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ideas can come from everywhere, oftentimes when we are in our area of influence, we are blinded because we have tunnel vision.
• 7:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: We can't see beyond.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: We can't see the forest through the trees.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: We also ensure that leadership, whatever that means in your organization is accessible, it's human and it comes from a supportive way.
• 7:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Leadership is about leading which means
• 7:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: To do their area of influence as it's understood that might be by bringing better clarity Having better and more open communication and helping them to achieve the mission and to do it within the core values of your organization And look at aligns everyone to a shared mission where influence is purposeful
• 8:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: What this does for your organization is it creates psychological safety and promotional clarity.
• 8:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Two things that should be emphasized and that we do emphasize here at the IM team series.
• 8:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: What influence flows freely, culture strengthens communication, sharpens, and every team member becomes a multiplier of positive and responsible impact.
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remember, influence isn't earned, it's lived.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: every decision.
• 8:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Every interaction contributes to the environment around you.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: It is your area of influence.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: And when we recognize that every person is an influencer, everyone matters.
• 8:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: We elevate our teams.
• 8:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: We flatten the barriers between us and we create a culture where everyone's value is seen and felt.
• 8:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're a leader, you're roll us to nurture influence, not control it.
• 8:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're part of the team, you're roll us to own your influence, not underestimate it.
• 9:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: When we do this together, we don't just create better companies, we create better humans, better relationships, and better communities.
• 9:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for listening.
• 9:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Go out and use your influence with intention.
• 9:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Be positive.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Be responsible.
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: But understand whatever you're doing.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: You are intentional.
• 9:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Have a great day.