The Acquisition and Loss of Influence
Influence can be gained and lost through a variety of factors, including individual reputation, expertise, social status, and access to resources. Power is the capacity to influence, alter, or affect others, often through specialists, coercion, or persuasion. To make a positive impact in their community, individuals can build a reputation for excellence by demonstrating their mastery and knowledge in areas relevant to their community’s needs. They can work to establish themselves as reliable individuals dedicated to improving their community.
Using Power and Influence to Improve Community Life
People can utilize their influence and control to improve life in their community by advocating for policies and activities that address the needs and concerns of the individuals within it. They can use their expertise to advocate for community development initiatives, such as infrastructure improvements, social programs, or educational initiatives, by lobbying government authorities and other decision-makers to allocate resources. People can leverage their power and influence to mobilize community members and energize them to take action toward common objectives. This could be done through grassroots organizing, community outreach programs, or social media campaigns.
Another way individuals can utilize their influence and impact to make strides in their community is by serving as role models and coaches for younger generations. By sharing their information and experiences, they can inspire and empower others to become pioneers and change-makers in their own lives and in the lives of others.
It is, moreover, vital for individuals to be mindful of the potential negative consequences of exercising their control and influence. Sometimes, people may force their specialists or lock themselves in degenerate homes that hurt their community instead of offering assistance. Subsequently, it is fundamental that individuals who hold control and influence act morally and with astuteness, and be responsible to the individuals they serve. Individuals can also work to construct systems and organizations in collaboration with other community organizations and pioneers to maximize their impact. Collaborating with others can pool assets and mastery to address complex social issues and accomplish shared goals.
Liu’s You’re More Powerful
Eric Liu, who wrote the book You’re More Powerful Than You Think, emphasizes how impact can be conveyed through connections and fostering human relationships with colleagues, friends, and relatives (21). Agreeing with Liu, the impact stems from our connections and the personal bonds that form within us (21). To make an impact, we must build strong connections, expand our reach into areas that matter to our community, and manage assets that help us achieve our objectives.
Liu points out that control is the ability to make things happen. Power is not about being a specialist or taking control over others, but the capacity to make things happen. Anyone can have control over their social status or position.
Control comes from taking action and being determined in confronting deterrents. Liu contends that anyone can use their control to form relationships and obligations with the world, thereby creating responsibilities (23). People can make a distinction in their community by working with others, distinguishing common objectives, and taking action.
According to Liu, individuals can use their control in numerous ways, including voting, which enables leaders to acquire power (21). By utilizing these techniques, people can make their voices heard and make alterations. Liu’s article is persuasive since it explains that power and control can be misplaced through inaction or deceptive behavior. At the same time, control can be exerted through activities and laws that either empower people or exert power over them (26). Control emphasizes the importance of staying true to one’s values and acting wisely when utilizing control to effect change.
Liu’s foundation and experience provide him with a deep understanding of the challenges confronting communities and the techniques that can effect positive change. He draws on his claim that encounters create a win-win situation in life, which fosters fairness (34). This enables him to display a compelling contention for the control of conventional citizens to create a contrast in their communities.
In expanding his ability, Liu’s writing style is readily available, making complex thoughts and methodologies easy to apply. He uses real-life cases and case considerations to demonstrate his focus, providing concrete evidence of the effectiveness of his approach. Liu’s book is grounded in the conviction that anyone can use it to learn and gain critical insights into how power works in the modern world (39). This engaging message resonates with readers and inspires them to engage in activities that confront overwhelming challenges.
Liu’s comprehensive approach to civic engagement emphasizes the importance of collaborating with others to effect change. He recognizes that people can alter their claims by establishing businesses that enable them to exercise their power, thereby creating a responsible society (38). This approach is especially significant in today’s complex and interconnected world, where the challenges confronting communities require multi-sectoral and cross-disciplinary solutions.
Liu’s book provides viable techniques and practical steps that readers can implement in their communities to effect positive change. These techniques range from specific activities, such as supporting, advising, and implementing education policies, that bring about societal change (36). By offering readers a range of alternatives and inclusive activities, Liu ensures that everyone can find a way to utilize their power to make a difference.
Keltner Dacher’s The Power Paradox
The more persuasive author is Keltner Dacher, who wrote the book The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence. In the book, Keltner examines the intricate nature of control and impact, offering insights into how individuals and organizations can effectively use control to drive positive change. Keltner contends that control is not a limited asset to be accumulated, but rather a constraint that is taken up through civic changes, such as women’s suffrage (20). The significance of sympathy, lowliness, and liberality helps to maintain control and cautions against the pitfalls of self-importance, self-centeredness, and corruption.
One of the book’s key themes is that control can be exercised through benevolence, kindness, and social duty. Keltner cites an analysis indicating that individuals are more likely to support leaders who display these qualities, thereby enabling employees to fulfill their roles within the organization (25). However, Keltner recognizes the darker side of control and highlights how people were incorporated into slavery and oppressed to hard labor by oppressive hierarchies (35). Control can lead to a sense of privilege, a lack of compassion, and a readiness to overlook deceptive behavior in order to preserve or increase one’s influence.
Conclusion
In conclusion, strategies for leveraging impact and control to make gains in one’s community align with the ways demonstrated in my case task for achieving one’s goals. These strategies include voting, community organizing, financial support, and activism. Both stress the importance of participating in group endeavors and coordinating one’s efforts with others to achieve common goals.
Connecting with community members fosters bonds that lead to transformations, such as disseminating knowledge that inspires and empowers others. Control enables individuals to support their leaders, enabling organizations and leaders to prioritize their employees’ well-being. However, the control and use of power often lead to adverse outcomes, such as corruption and abuse, that undermine accountability.
Works Cited
Liu, Eric. You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen. Public Affairs, 2017.
Keltner, Dacher. The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence. Pengur Press New York, 2016.