Power: Relationship Focus or Influencer?

As Mr. Robert Dilenschneider says, “Most people do not understand power and what it can do for them.” Because of this, they suffer, everyone around them suffers, and they are doomed never to live up to their potential.

Some turn to DALE CARNEGIE books or training for options. This school of “personal relationships” and “business consulting” favors a personal and “soft” approach for success. Power and influence do NOT represent their core philosophy, and it’s most interesting to see the contrast in their approach, versus Mr. Dilenschneider's direct, practical methods.

While the “Power and Influence” book emphasizes the central nature of the technological revolution in the lives of senior business executives, the Carnegie training emphasizes the evaluation of how external forces seem to shape leadership styles, and how this can positively or negatively impact the style of the organization’s environment and culture.

Now, Mr. Carnegie’s advice books and business training have been around a long, long, long time. Millions of individuals have read and tried to emulate his ideas regarding building potential by gaining the trust and respect from those who work for you. Develop and maintain a business’s core processes and procedures to drive innovation, they claim. Lead by developing your questioning and listing skills for success.

Mr. Dilenschneider’s approach, while not quite the OPPOSITE of this, certainly appears to be much more CONTEMPORARY and CREDIBLE for building one’s career and personal relationships. Wait and listen, yes, but seize command, too.

He stresses, as well, the importance of building one’s PERSONAL HAPPINESS while building one’s power and influences bases - - for material gain. Work and play overlap, influfencing both positively, career-wise.

This appears to be a much more lucrative and rewarding advice. While superficially appearing to be more “self-centered,” Mr. Dilenschneider actually emphasizes both the central hub of God’s higher morality and the importance of good works in one’s community, as power and influence catch fire. The Carnegie approach seems much more laid back, even PASSIVE, when candled against the Power and Influence checklists and evaluating one's environment.

Both emphasize the importance of building core communications skills, while rising up the company management ladder. They also both emphasize the importance of being able to work effectively with employees, customers and suppliers, for example. But the Carnegie approach emphasizes more coaching and empathy, while Mr. Dilenschneider’s methods emphasize the importance of recognizing the utilizing one’s own natural talents and skills. Let them naturally point a person in the right direction. Then don't be surprised that these directions encompass unconventional electronic technologies and other social media.

By these measures, the Dilenschneider methods could be considered much more specific, applicable, contemporary and breakthrough in nature which, after all, represents the very attributes one seeks in this sort of how-to book. How to do what, when, for more power and influence. Let’s leave the relationship-building to the human resources department. You want to become a POWER PLAYER RIGHT NOW, one who uses new information sources to process data in new ways and, a player who mentors the next generation of “power aspirants.” In doing so, it isn't the team becoming self-actualized that counts. It's you. (And YOU is BETTER.)

Having SOUND ARGUMENTS, another requirement of Mr. Dilenschneider's, AT THE RIGHT TIME extends power and opens "influence doors" as well, without cutting ethical corners in achieving personal objectives. This sounds a whole lot easier and faster to do than trying to get one's arms around externalities and building relationships that might not ever pay the rent.