If you desire to influence another person, the way to start is by nurturing them. What clergyman John Knox said over four hundred years ago is still true: “You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time.”
At the heart of the nurturing process is genuine concern for others. And as we try to help and influence the people around us, we must have positive feelings and concern for them. If you want to help people and make a positive impact on them, you cannot dislike or disparage them. You must give love to them and give them respect.
You may be wondering why you should take on a nurturing role with the people you want to influence, especially if they are employees, colleagues, or friends. You may be saying to yourself, “Isn’t that something they can get somewhere else, like at home?”
The unfortunate truth is that most people are desperate for encouragement. If you become a major nurturer in the life of another person, then you have an opportunity to make a major impact on them.
Excerpt from Becoming a Person of Influence
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