Influence is a big part of the world we live in. It seems that everybody is trying to get more of it. As leaders, we absolutely need influence to move our teams forward. That's not debatable. Influence IS important. But what's more important is how we derive and apply that influence.

We believe influence comes in two fundamental forms: Force and Power.

Force tends to work in the short run. We can push and pull and grab people's attention. We can gain influence by shouting the loudest or pushing the hardest or gaining the most leverage. But when we think about the people we most admire, those who are most influential, we don't see that. Instead we see calm and confidence and consistency and integrity.

The people we truly respect seem to be magnetic. We just want to be around them, to be on their team, to help in their work. They have a certain GRAVITY to them. And that is their real power. Generating this kind of power takes time. It is the slower, but stronger path to influence. And all it requires is for us to be where we are and WHO we are. Just like any celestial body, our mass will eventually pull others toward us, and maybe even into our orbit. If we can focus on our mission, stay in our lane, do the work, and stay within our integrity, we can slowly build some mass and generate some gravity.

It's hard to resist the shorter path to influence. It's easy to chase whatever is currently getting clicks or likes. It's faster to force it. But that is not the way to long-term success. Great teams, companies, and cultures are not built that way. So take your time. Think hard about who you are and what you stand for, then be that person. The gravity will build and the influence will come.