Monday, June 23, 2014

 

Did you appear in Time Magazine?


Every year Time Magazine has a special issue, called “The 100 most influential people”. This year it featured people like Obama, Pope Francis, Pharell Williams, but also lesser known people such as Janet Yellen, Charles Koch and Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe. I like that issue because it gives a window into what society, especially American society, values: athletes who are coming out, artists who make it against all odds, women who  broke through the glass ceiling, entrepreneurs who seek to cure some of the world’s ills. What struck me again this year was the breadth of personalities who make it onto the list; this proves that political power is by no means the only way to have influence. You do not have to be a celebrity in order to have impact: money, brains, relational skills, character can all be things which gain you a hearing. Which raises an interesting question: what is influence, or who do I think leaves the most lasting mark on society?


 Chesterton, once asked who the most influential person on a ship was, answered “The man who engineered the craft”. In other words it is not always the person who shouts the loudest or who has the shiniest uniform who can bring about the most change; sometimes it is the person in the background who sets the scene or who writes the script. I appreciate Time Magazine’s attempt to not just single out people who are hogging the limelight, often with very little to say, who only want their ego stroked. There are also people who think deeply, love strongly or dream wildly, even though they normally don’t appear on Oprah or the New York Times front page.

Consider for a moment who most impacted you in this past year: was it a friend? A colleague? Somebody you know? Or somebody you admire? Was the person even alive, or was he or she a writer whose ideas you came in contact with this past while? Was it somebody who set an example, who inspired you? If that person is still alive, consider dropping them a note in order to thank them.


Secondly consider where you have made an impact this past year: you might not have made the cover of Time Magazine, but surely you have impacted somebody. How did you do it? Was it a conscious effort, or did you only notice afterward that something shifted because of what you said, did or decided not to do? Who are the people, situations, places you want to influence? In 2004 Joseph Nye coined the term “soft power” for influence by countries which did not primarily involve economic or military prowess, but such things as cultural leadership, achievements in sports or architectural inventiveness. But you could apply the term as well to individuals: some people (why do women come to mind so readily?) seem to have influence and sway way out of proportion with their position or economic means. Something less tangible, but no less real allows them to have impact in their families, work places or communities.  So before you bemoan that you are no John Kerry nor Kelly Washington, consider the soft power that you have, and use it wisely. You might make it onto some of your friends’ list of “100 most influential people”…

# posted by tino @ Monday, June 23, 2014 0 comments

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