At our music school in Odessa, Texas we believe that music is more than sound. Rather, it is relationships. With this in mind the subject of leadership becomes paramount. How can an artist influence his community? How can a music teacher influence her student? As John Maxwell is famous for saying, “Leadership is Influence, nothing more, nothing less,” we fully support the development of leaders as we teach the foundations of music and art.
The following contains excerpts from the book, How to Influence People (Maxwell/Dornan).
This book is one of the most complete dissertations of influence that Maxwell has produced to date, covering the major areas in a person’s character that ultimately produces influence in the lives of others. Using the acronym INFLUENCER to cover each character trait, a rather extensive picture begins to come into focus.
A person of influence:
I – Has Integrity with people – Genuine integrity is not for sale. Integrity is about the small things. “One of the realities of life is that if you can’t trust a person at all points, you can’t truly trust him or her at any point.” (Cheryl Biehl)
At our music school in Odessa, Texas, we believe that trust is the glue that holds every relationship together. We expect our students to be trustworthy individuals and know that as we help them develop this character trait that they will succeed in every aspect of their lives.
N – Nurtures other people – At the heart of the nurturing process is genuine concern for others. A nurturing influencer is a giver. Your ultimate goal is others’ growth and independence. If you nurture others but allow them to become dependent on you, you’re really hurting them, not helping them.
We intend to nurture each student in our music school in Odessa, Texas in their unique talents and giftings, to help them grow to their maximum potential.
F – Has Faith in people – Most people don’t have faith in themselves. Most people don’t have someone who has faith in them. People can tell when someone has faith in them and they will do almost anything to live up to your faith in them. Believe in people before they succeed. Emphasize their strengths. List their past successes. Instill confidence when they fail.
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we choose to believe that each student is capable of more than they think they are. This is the value of having a mentor and teacher to spur the student on in higher achievement.
L – Listens to people – Listening shows respect, builds relationships. “You can make more friends in two weeks by becoming a good listener than you can in two years trying to get other people interested in you.” (Dale Carnegie) Listening increases knowledge and generates ideas. Listening builds loyalty. The main barrier to listening effectively is being preoccupied with self.
One of the most profound lessons a student can learn, not only in our music school in Odessa, Texas, but in life is how to listen attentively. Great musicianship requires great listening skills, and there is a profound difference between merely hearing and listening.
U – Understands people – “Few things will pay you bigger dividends than the time and trouble you take to understand people. Almost nothing will add more to you stature as an executive and a person. Nothing will give you greater satisfaction of bring you more happiness. (George Kienzle) Why people fail to understand others: 1) Fear, 2) Self-centeredness, 3) Failure to appreciate differences, 4) Failure to acknowledge similarities. Things to understand about people: 1) Everybody wants to be somebody, 2) Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care, 3) Everybody needs somebody, 4) Everybody can be somebody when somebody understands and believes in them, 5) Anybody who helps somebody influences a lot of bodies.
E – Enlarges people – Enlarging others is an investment. “There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being- to help someone succeed.” (Alan Loy McGinnis) “It’s one thing to build a product; it’s another thing to build a company, because companies are nothing but men, and the things that come out of them are no better than the people themselves. We do not build automobiles, airplanes, refrigerators, or shoestrings. We build men, the men build the product.” (Robert Gross, former president of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation)
N – Navigates for other people – A navigator identifies the destination, plots the course, asking “Where do they need to go?, What do they need to know?, How do they need to grow?” A navigator thinks ahead and makes course corrections when necessary. A navigator stays with the people.
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we hope to help students plot their course by helping them see a larger perspective and a broader context.
C – Connects with people – 1) Don’t take people for granted, 2) Possess a ‘Make-a-difference’ mindset, 3) Initiate movement toward them, 4) Look for common ground, 5) Recognize and respect differences in personality, 6) Find the key to other’s lives, 7) Communicate from the heart, 8) Share common experiences, 9) Once connected, move forward
E – Empowers people – When you become an empowerer, you work with and through people, but you do much more. You enable others to reach the highest levels in their personal and professional development. Empowering is giving your influence to others for the purpose of personal and organizational growth. It’s sharing yourself- your influence, position, power, and opportunities with others so they can function at their best.
R – Reproduces other influences – Reproducing leaders raises you influence to a new level, raises the new leader’s personal potential, multiplies resources, ensures a positive future for your organization. To reproduce other influences effectively, 1) Lead yourself well “The number one reason leaders are unsuccessful is their inability to lead themselves.” (Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A), 2) Look continually for potential leaders, 3) Put the team first, 4) Commit yourself to developing leaders, not followers, 5) Move from maintenance to multiplication.
These are all traits to aspire to in anyone’s life who wants to truly make a difference in this world. Learning to apply these principles is ultimately a life-long quest.