The post I am about to share with you today originally appeared on my site RecessionSolution.com back on October 4, 2011, in a post called The Secret To Becoming A Person Of Impact And Influence.
I want to share it with you today for two reasons:
- The idea it’s based on is still needed today more than ever.
- The idea is explored on a much deeper level in a new book that is coming out this week. (See below for more.)
First, let’s look at the idea and then I’ll tell you about the new book.
The Night a British Statesman and Financier Shocked His Dinner Guests
I once read a story about British statesman and financier Cecil Rhodes.
He is the one whose fortune was used to endow the world-famous Rhodes Scholarships.
People said that he was a real stickler for proper dress -–but not at the expense of someone else’s feelings.
A young man was invited to dine with Rhodes and he arrived late by train, so he had to go directly to Rhodes’s home in his travel-stained clothes.
Once he got there, he was appalled to find the other guests were already there and they were wearing their full evening dress.
After what seemed a long time, Rhodes finally appeared.
But what was shocking to this young man and to the other guests was that Rhodes was dressed in a shabby old blue suit.
Later on, the young man found out that Rhodes had been dressed in his formal evening clothes. But he had changed out of them and put on the old suit, when he heard of his young guest’s awkward dilemma.
How much influence and impact do you think that had on that young man?
- I’d bet the young man never forgot what happened that night!
- I bet he told everyone he knew about it. (In fact, I wonder if that’s how we know the story today.)
- I bet he would do anything he could to help Rhodes from that day forward.
- I bet he would take any advice Rhodes ever gave him and bend over backwards to return the favor!
The Secret to Impact and Influence?
*Do you want to know the “secret” to impact and influence?
The real secret has nothing to do with how many followers you have.
The real secret to impact and influence is empathy!
It’s putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and letting them see you know what it’s like to be in their position.
It’s then interacting with them and treating them based on that understanding.
But it HAS to be real. It can’t be fake.
If it is, you’ll lose any chance of impact and influence with that person and others.
When it’s real, you’ll have become a person of influence and impact, because you’ll be a person that people can genuinely trust.
- Isn’t empathy the underlying principle of “The Golden Rule”?
- Isn’t a lack of empathy one of the biggest reasons for strife and trouble between people?
We all want to have an impact and influence in this world.
The “secret” to actually experiencing this starts with thinking of others first and responding to them out of that understanding.
Mean People Suck: The Book
If this idea resonates with you, then you should consider getting your hands on a brand new book that is coming out on Friday. (You can pre-order it now.)
It’s written by Michael Brenner and it’s called Mean People Suck: How Empathy Leads to a Better Life.
I received a preview copy of Mean People Suck and just finished it today.
Inside the book, Michael does a great job of showing you how the power of empathy can:
- Help your company to be better
- Help you to be a better boss or manager
- Help you to create more powerful marketing
- Help you to better serve and satisfy your customers
- And more
And he does all of this by sharing his own personal story — and the stories of other people and companies – to reveal how empathy has been a key ingredient to true success for him and many others.
Who is Michael Brenner?
In case you’re one of the few people who don’t know who Michael is, here is some info to get you up to speed:
- He’s been recognized as a Forbes top CMO influencer.
- He’s been acknowledged as a top business keynote speaker by the Huffington Post.
- He’s been designated a top motivational speaker by Entrepreneur Magazine.
- He is CEO of Marketing Insider Group, where he has worked with more than 75 brands in building effective thought leadership, marketing, and employee activation programs.
- If that wasn’t enough, he’s also the author of “The Content Formula” and “Digital Marketing Growth Hacks.”
The Biggest Reason to Get This Book
But the biggest reason to get his book is because Michael practices what he preaches.
Even though Michael and I have never met in person (yet), our interactions by email and phone have shown me that he is a person of empathy who really cares about other people.
If you believe the only way to become successful is by pushing others out of your way and by focusing only on yourself, your needs, and your career, then you will hate this book.
But if you want to achieve success by pulling other people up, helping other people succeed, and feeling good about what you do, then I can’t think of a better person for you to learn from.
Because this is the good news Michael wants to reveal to you: it’s empathy, not apathy, that is the real key to success in business and in life.
