Your Legacy
David Stevens is a mortgage banker who formerly led both the Federal Housing Agency and the Mortgage Bankers Association died at the age of 66 this past week. Some of you may know him but many may not, yet I saw countless posts online acknowledging his death and paying homage to his life. Comments like “he was a great boss and friend”, “he truly cared about those he worked with, and he was a “real leader whose advice was carefully listened to by industry practitioners, policymakers and regulators,”.
His passing and the impact he had over so many people made me really think about the power of influence. I recently read that each of us will influence around 80,000 people in our lives either positively or negatively. Influence is having a lasting effect on the character or behavior of another person. So, by that right each one of us is an “influencer”. And each one of us have power to, for at least 80,000 people, to have a potentially life changing impact over their lives. Think about that. Our legacy is created by subtle little decisions we make every day, that can have a lasting impact on the lives of others.
I can’t tell you how many times I have said or done something small and even unconscious that later I found had a lasting impact either positively or negatively on someone. I say that not to make us worry about what we say and do but more to remind us of the power we have, to affect those around us.
Influence and impact are created in three ways. Interest, investment, and intent. Having interest in a homeless person on the street can have a lasting impact. But so can a snide comment with negative intent at the grocery store. And if you are a leader your influence and impact is super charged. “Leadership not about influence, it is influence”- Tommy Spaulding. Influence is not about what you get, it’s about what you give. When you have ‘influence’ it’s not about using it to gain something (that’s manipulation). It’s about what you have given to others, that creates the influence/ impact. Interest, investment, and intent.
So, as you go about your week, think about how you are influencing others. Are there people around you that need investment? How can you serve them? Are there people that are emotionally raw that need a little interest?
We only have so many days on this earth and time is the one thing that can never be replaced. And when I pass, I want my legacy to be about positive life changing impact that was created for those around me.
Be kind, Support, Invest, Forgive, and Serve those around you. You will be surprised how much richer your life will be 🙂
Notes that Resonated
Don’t be afraid just believe Mark 5:36
Your zone of Genius equals juice. The more we love and work in our genius the more juice of life is flowing through us into the world- 15 commitments of leadership
More search less feed (spend less time scrolling the feed and more time searching for what’s relevant)
The biggest communication problem is that we listen to reply not to understand - Dr. Covey
Money is simply an echo of value
What value are you creating?
Everything living changes
Influence is what allows you to do what you are called to do effectively
You can only affect change through influence
You can’t have impact without influence
Things to read
The gift of influence - Tommy Spaulding
Podcasts to listen to
Hit the reset button- this is a great time of the year to hit the reset button with your team. “Reorient” them, reset and remind what is important.
Videos to watch: (sales)
Helping buyers overcome Homebuyer’s Fear in 2024. Do you have a buy now message? Do you have the data you need to help your agents and sales reps have a solid buy now message?
Top Quotes
“Time is really the only capital that any human has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose” - Thomas Edison
Opportunities multiply as they are seized - Sun Tzu
"New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings." — Lao Tzu
“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun." - Mary Poppins
Food & Drink
Deepstash- if you love to learn things, this is a cool app that gives you a daily selection of ideas from podcast, books etc.. all based on your personal interest. “Deepstash is a platform where users read and curate bite-sized insights and ideas from anywhere online, may that be books, articles, podcasts, or videos.” You can find ideas on specific topics that interest you.
https://deepstash.com/