IntroductionWelcome| 00:04 | Do your peers inside of your company
consider you to be a thought leader?
| | 00:09 | What about outside of the company? Do others
consider you to be a leading expert in your field?
| | 00:15 | How well you're considered to be a
thought leader can greatly affect your career.
| | 00:20 | In my book, Invaluable, I explored how to help
individuals increase the value of their time
| | 00:25 | and quality of work life.
In other words, how to become invaluable.
| | 00:30 | This course, Becoming a thought leader is
part of a five course series on helping you
| | 00:35 | become invaluable and get
the most from you career.
| | 00:38 | In my coaching, I refer to becoming a thought
leader as the invaluable factor of authority.
| | 00:46 | Authority is particularly
important because many people overlook it.
| | 00:50 | They believe that it does not apply to them
unless they own their own business, or they
| | 00:55 | are an author, or that
they have certain credentials.
| | 00:57 | They may also feel that some of the things
I suggest they do to become a thought leader
| | 01:03 | are too challenging.
This creates an opportunity for you.
| | 01:07 | If you are willing to put in the effort,
you put yourself into an elite group.
| | 01:13 | An employee who is recognized both inside
and outside of the company as a thought leader
| | 01:19 | dramatically improves their value.
| | 01:21 | This factor evaluates how strongly the current
market considers you to be a top expert in your field.
| | 01:29 | The most valuable people have found a
way to leverage authority to their benefit.
| | 01:35 | Think about this for a moment.
Our world is saturated with information.
| | 01:40 | Many people have so many choices that
informed decision making is nearly impossible.
| | 01:46 | A thought leader helps this
situation by being a decision leader.
| | 01:51 | People can make decisions with confidence by
listening to the recommendations of a legitimate authority.
| | 01:58 | Most of the decision leaders and authorities
in your life are not celebrities, they are
| | 02:03 | mentors, teachers, community leaders,
friends, or perhaps even your boss.
| | 02:08 | Every person has the potential to
be an authority in a unique area.
| | 02:14 | The question isn't whether you have expertise
to offer, but rather, what is your best expertise
| | 02:21 | and who would be most
interested to learn what you know.
| | 02:25 | As you develop authority, your
opportunities to serve others will increase.
| | 02:30 | In this course, I will help you identify
your area of expertise and then help you work on
| | 02:36 | strategies you can use to develop authority,
both within your company and in the community.
| | 02:43 | As you do this, you will make
progress in becoming a thought leader.
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| Using the exercise files| 00:00 |
Throughout this course, I'll be
asking you to fill out worksheets to better
| | 00:03 |
understand how well you're
progressing on the path to becoming invaluable.
| | 00:08 |
These worksheets have been provided in
the exercise files tab on the course
| | 00:13 |
details page for all lynda.com
subscribers, or if you're watching this tutorial
| | 00:18 |
on a DVD-ROM, the exercise
files have been included there.
| | 00:22 |
I suggest that you download these
worksheets and print them out prior to
| | 00:27 |
watching the course.
| | 00:28 |
At various points throughout the
course, I'll be asking you to pause the videos
| | 00:32 |
and fill out a worksheet.
| | 00:34 |
In order for you to get the most out
of this training, I recommend you have
| | 00:38 |
these worksheets on hand.
| | 00:40 |
Now let's get started.
| | 00:42 |
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1. Preparing to Build AuthorityDetermining your area of authority| 00:01 | What should I become an authority in?
| | 00:03 | This is an important question to answer
because it's going to build the foundation for all
| | 00:08 | the work we do in this course.
| | 00:10 | In the authority identification
worksheet, you'll see a simple chart.
| | 00:15 | The first section asks
you to list three talents.
| | 00:19 | I define talents as activities where you are gifted,
that you love to do, and where you've developed skills.
| | 00:26 | When all three of those come
together, you have a talent.
| | 00:30 | List your top three talents in
this section of the worksheet.
| | 00:34 | Next, you'll list your most
valuable activities, or MVAs.
| | 00:39 | These are your activities that are worth
the most per hour, that you would have to pay
| | 00:43 | someone else the most money to
perform them as well as you can.
| | 00:48 | Choose your top two MVAs and list them here.
Next, you'll see two columns, advice and like.
| | 00:57 | Check the advice column if that's an area that
people commonly come to you for advice or mentorship.
| | 01:05 | Check the like column if this is an area where
you would like to be recognized as an authority.
| | 01:11 | It's important that you enjoy sharing your
knowledge with others in the activities you
| | 01:15 | choose, since you'll be
doing more of that in the future.
| | 01:19 | Now look for talents and activities where you've
put check marks in both the advice and like columns.
| | 01:28 | Also look for areas where your talents and
your most valuable activities are the same.
| | 01:33 | Wherever you have a match between your MVA,
your talent, advice, and like, is likely the
| | 01:39 | area in which you want to build authority.
| | 01:42 | Below this table, you'll
complete two statements.
| | 01:45 | The first says, "Inside of the company I work
for I would like to be known as an authority on..."
| | 01:53 | Go ahead and finish this sentence.
| | 01:55 | The second statement for you to complete is, "
In the public, I would most like to be known
| | 02:00 | as an authority on..."
| | 02:02 | Sometimes your answers to
these questions will be different.
| | 02:07 | This is common when you're new to your
career and haven't yet established authority in a
| | 02:12 | particular field in the
public or in your company.
| | 02:15 | If the two answers are the same that will make
your path to becoming an authority even easier.
| | 02:21 | In the upcoming videos, I'll discuss how
you can create a plan to build your authority
| | 02:27 | in that area, both inside
and outside your company.
| | 02:32 |
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| Scheduling time to build authority| 00:00 | In other courses, I've suggested that you
schedule time to focus on developing yourself.
| | 00:06 | In becoming a leading authority, however,
you're going to create a time budget for sharing
| | 00:11 | your knowledge with others.
| | 00:13 | Certainly, as you teach
others, you'll develop yourself.
| | 00:16 | I have found that I always learn the most when
I help others learn, and it's the same with you.
| | 00:21 | The process is fairly straightforward.
| | 00:24 | Open your calendar and find some time every week
that you can budget to work on becoming an authority.
| | 00:30 | Be realistic, one hour
per week is enough to start.
| | 00:35 | Look in your calendar for a regular day and
time when it's most likely to be quiet and
| | 00:40 | you won't be interrupted.
| | 00:42 | Then set up a recurring weekly appointment,
and when that time arrives in your schedule,
| | 00:48 | keep that appointment.
| | 00:50 | In the coming videos, I'll show you plenty of
things you can do to make that time meaningful.
| | 00:56 | As you become more of an authority, you'll
want to devote more time in your schedule.
| | 01:01 | When you get to that point, just assess how
much time you're spending and then establish
| | 01:06 | a revised time slot.
Setting the schedule is the foundation.
| | 01:11 | By using the schedule and making just a
little progress each week, over time you'll see the
| | 01:17 | accumulation of your effort and
grow steadily to become an authority.
| | 01:22 |
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| Selecting a mentor| 00:00 |
Perhaps the fastest way to become an
authority is through the guidance of
| | 00:04 |
someone who has already become one.
| | 00:06 |
This concept has a long history.
Centuries ago if I wanted to become a master
| | 00:12 |
blacksmith, I would begin as an
apprentice to another blacksmith. Working for
| | 00:17 |
years alongside a master, I would
gradually move up the ranks to become a
| | 00:21 |
journeyman, and ultimately
a master blacksmith myself.
| | 00:25 |
Today we use the term mentorship. We
find a mentor, someone we trust and who
| | 00:31 |
has already achieved success. And by
following their device and communicating
| | 00:36 |
with them regularly, we progress toward
ultimately becoming a master like them.
| | 00:42 |
You can find a mentor in any of three settings.
| | 00:45 |
The first is inside of your company.
| | 00:48 |
Let's say that I want to become an
authority on programming computer games.
| | 00:53 |
If I'm working inside a company that
programs those games, then I can identify
| | 00:58 |
one person who is highly successful in
that and is already an authority within
| | 01:03 |
the company. I might approach them
and try to develop a professional
| | 01:07 |
relationship, getting their permission
to ask questions regularly, so that I
| | 01:12 |
can learn from them.
| | 01:13 |
I might also look for
opportunities to work on projects with them.
| | 01:18 |
The next place to look for a mentor is
outside of the company, but within your
| | 01:23 |
network of friends and acquaintances.
| | 01:26 |
It's usually a bit easier to get
these people to be your mentor because you
| | 01:30 |
already have a relationship with them, or
you may have a friend who can introduce
| | 01:35 |
you to someone who is a master.
| | 01:38 |
You'll have to work with this person
to create a structure that works with
| | 01:42 |
their busy schedule and yours, so that you can
meet occasionally and learn from each other.
| | 01:47 |
The third setting for finding a mentor
is what I call long-distance mentorship,
| | 01:52 |
in this situation you find a
master to mentor you from afar.
| | 01:58 |
Using my earlier example, I might
identify the world's leading authority in
| | 02:03 |
video game creation and look for them online.
| | 02:06 |
The good news is the nature of an
authority is that they share their
| | 02:10 |
information with other people.
| | 02:13 |
So it may be fairly simple to gather
curriculum for learning from this expert.
| | 02:18 |
I might connect with them on online
social networks. If they have a blog, I
| | 02:23 |
would subscribe to it. If they have
a podcast, I would listen to it, and
| | 02:27 |
certainly if they're writing books,
or delivering seminars, I would want to
| | 02:31 |
participate in those.
| | 02:33 |
Any opportunity you can get access
to and learn from their expertise.
| | 02:39 |
As you're following a mentor from
afar try to discover how they rose to an
| | 02:44 |
authority position, what path they
followed, and try to build a history to
| | 02:49 |
understand that path.
| | 02:50 |
While you might not be able to walk
that same path, their steps may provide
| | 02:56 |
helpful hints to finding your own way.
| | 02:59 |
The truth is there are no shortcuts to
becoming a master in your field. Becoming
| | 03:04 |
an authority will take you some time,
but finding another master to learn from
| | 03:09 |
and consistently scheduling time to
learn from them will make the process easier
| | 03:14 |
to rise from
apprenticeship to a master yourself.
| | 03:19 |
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2. Building Authority within a CompanyBecoming a systems expert| 00:00 |
When it comes to building your authority
inside of the company, the simplest and
| | 00:05 |
fastest way to begin is by
becoming a systems expert.
| | 00:09 |
A systems expert is a bit like a
mountain guide. If you want to climb a mountain
| | 00:14 |
you've never climbed before, hiring
a mountain guide is essential. Why?
| | 00:19 |
Well, because they've been up and down
the path many times and have helped other
| | 00:24 |
people walk that path as well.
| | 00:27 |
A systems expert is someone in a
company who best understands certain processes
| | 00:33 |
and procedures within the business.
| | 00:36 |
They may have documented those systems.
Just like the mountain guide in our
| | 00:40 |
example, they are someone who knows
the path and can teach it to others.
| | 00:45 |
Consider an example for a moment.
Let's say a company uses a unique software
| | 00:50 |
program to work with and track all of
their projects; perhaps it's a specialized
| | 00:56 |
program for their
industry and their unique needs.
| | 00:59 |
Whenever a new employee joins the company they
need to be trained on how to use that software.
| | 01:06 |
The systems expert is recognized as
the authority in using that software, and
| | 01:11 |
because of that they are
very valuable to the company.
| | 01:14 |
As a systems expert, they may have
already documented some of the most critical
| | 01:20 |
processes that someone else needs to learn.
| | 01:23 |
Documenting those processes
does not make them replaceable;
| | 01:27 |
in fact the opposite is true, because
they are the expert who can best teach it
| | 01:33 |
with authority to other people.
| | 01:35 |
This is the very heart of why
systems experts are so valuable.
| | 01:40 |
Documentation alone is not enough.
| | 01:43 |
In order for people to be truly successful in
a position, they must learn from someone else.
| | 01:49 |
A systems expert within the company is
the authority, the master, the mountain
| | 01:55 |
guide who can teach it to others.
| | 01:58 |
Many CEOs and business owners have
told me through the years that one of the
| | 02:03 |
things that makes an employee
invaluable is that they know a system so well
| | 02:08 |
that they can teach it to others.
| | 02:10 |
This is the result that we'll be
working toward in the coming videos.
| | 02:15 |
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| Getting company buy-in| 00:00 |
Before we discuss how you can become
a systems expert, it's important to
| | 00:04 |
consider the need for getting company buy-in.
| | 00:07 |
This process varies depending on the type
of company or organization that you're in.
| | 00:13 |
First let's consider the
small or high-growth business.
| | 00:17 |
These businesses depend on people being
flexible and doing whatever it takes to
| | 00:21 |
get results; because of that training
is usually done verbally without systems
| | 00:27 |
documentation and likely has
been this way for quite a while.
| | 00:31 |
Business owners and CEOs in these
businesses usually recognize the need to
| | 00:37 |
document systems, but have been so
busy and caught up in the day to day that
| | 00:42 |
they've been unable to work on this.
| | 00:45 |
In a small business if you can
approach the business owner or senior
| | 00:49 |
manager and offer to document
systems on behalf of the company, this will
| | 00:54 |
usually be viewed favorably.
| | 00:56 |
Just to make sure that you get permission
and buy-in from someone before you begin.
| | 01:02 |
Now let's talk about the larger more
established companies; the ones that have
| | 01:06 |
been running for many years, have
many levels of management hierarchy, and
| | 01:10 |
probably have all of the
systems documented to a degree.
| | 01:14 |
In these businesses, you'll need to
dig a little deeper to become a systems
| | 01:18 |
expert. You may not be the one who is
documenting a system, but instead be
| | 01:23 |
mastering critical systems and even
offering suggestions to refine them further.
| | 01:29 |
For example, if I'm a sales executive
within an established business like this,
| | 01:35 |
I first want to learn everything I
possibly can about the company's recommended
| | 01:40 |
sales processes, and then use them in the field.
| | 01:44 |
I test every aspect of those sales
processes and make recommendations for
| | 01:49 |
improvement to my manager.
| | 01:51 |
I may also write documentation to
support the systems, such as helpful tips to
| | 01:57 |
keep in mind or top 10 customer objections.
| | 02:01 |
The more invested I get in the
existing company systems and the more
| | 02:05 |
refinements I suggest to them, the
more I will become recognized as an
| | 02:10 |
authority in that particular area.
| | 02:12 |
Of course, company cultural norms apply.
Be careful in how you suggest these ideas.
| | 02:19 |
Follow the guidelines that have
been established within your company.
| | 02:23 |
It may take some time to build your
authority and be recognized within a larger business.
| | 02:29 |
But if you consistently make an
effort over time in mastering these systems,
| | 02:34 |
your opportunity to be
recognized as a systems expert will come.
| | 02:39 |
Whether you're in a small and growing
company or a larger established one, there
| | 02:44 |
are plenty of opportunities for
you to become a systems expert.
| | 02:49 |
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| Documenting the "what" in systems| 00:00 | Let's begin the process of helping you
become a systems expert by showing you
| | 00:05 | how to document a system.
| | 00:08 | I've provided you with the template
called the single page system template.
| | 00:13 | The idea is to get as much information as
you can about a system onto a single page.
| | 00:19 | If we try to document a system in too
much detail, it loses its value because
| | 00:25 | people are less likely to read and use it.
| | 00:27 | We want an outline, a sketch of what
someone should do when using the system.
| | 00:32 | That leaves room for you as a systems expert
to teach them all of the fine details.
| | 00:38 | We'll cover this process in two videos.
| | 00:41 | We've provided an example systems template
called the Washing clothes systems example.
| | 00:47 | This everyday example will help us illustrate
how easy it is to document a company system.
| | 00:54 | First, I'll explain how to complete the left
side of the template, what I call the foundation.
| | 01:00 | The foundation begins with the upper left-
hand corner of the template, the what.
| | 01:06 | The What section is designed to create
a picture in someone else's mind of the
| | 01:11 | end result of the system.
| | 01:13 | This is a brief phrase, one or two sentences
that begins with, "This system will."
| | 01:19 | In the example, the what is to
ensure that our clothes are clean, fresh
| | 01:24 | smelling, without shrinkage or color
bleeding and are ready to put in the dryer.
| | 01:29 | That's all we need.
| | 01:31 | Now the Why section; this is the logic
or motivation behind following a system.
| | 01:37 | We want to convince in a few words someone else
as to why following the system benefits them.
| | 01:45 | In our example, the why says having
fresh, clean clothes will help you look more
| | 01:51 | attractive and socially acceptable.
| | 01:54 | Next, the Who section. Here we simply list the
positions responsible for following this system.
| | 02:02 | You might list positions such as sales manager
or assembly line worker, depending on the system.
| | 02:08 | In the example we've
provided, I'll just say me.
| | 02:11 | The statement the "Results are reported
to" refers to the manager for that person,
| | 02:17 | such as the sales manager or production manager.
| | 02:21 | Again, for my example, I'll just write my wife.
She'll let me know if I didn't do a good job.
| | 02:27 | Next, the when. This refers to any
standards that we want to measure in terms of
| | 02:33 | time, timing, or length.
| | 02:35 | It can also include scheduled times
when the system should be followed.
| | 02:40 | In our example, we put clothes
should be washed every Monday,
| | 02:45 | the average light cycle is 30 minutes,
and the average heavy cycle is 45 minutes,
| | 02:50 | and do not allow wet clothes to sit
in the washer for longer than 1 hour.
| | 02:57 | Next, the How much section. Here we
list anything numerical or quantifiable,
| | 03:02 | such as performance standards,
results, numbers, or statistics.
| | 03:06 | In our example, we should use 1/2 cup of
detergent and the washer should be at most 3/4 full.
| | 03:14 | Finally, the With what section. Here you
list any resources the system requires.
| | 03:21 | In our example, we've listed dirty clothes, the clothes
washer, detergent, laundry booster, and bleach.
| | 03:29 | Now it's your turn.
| | 03:30 | Choose one company system that you
want to work on and begin filling out the
| | 03:36 | left side or foundation section of
the single page systems template.
| | 03:42 | You can refer to the documented
example we've provided if you need help.
| | 03:47 | After you've done that, you'll be
ready to move on to the right side of the
| | 03:51 | template, which is the how-to.
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| Documenting the "how" in systems| 00:00 | Once we've established the foundation
of a system on the left side, we're ready
| | 00:05 | to move onto the main part of the
system, which is the how-to section.
| | 00:09 | This is where we list all of the system's steps.
| | 00:13 | We don't need to provide every little
detail regarding the how. We just want to
| | 00:18 | create an outline, a sketch of the general steps
that someone should follow to complete this system.
| | 00:25 | Keep in mind that this system is
designed to be a training tool for use in
| | 00:30 | teaching the system to another person.
| | 00:32 | The fine details can be
covered in the teaching process.
| | 00:36 | Let's begin continuing with the
washing clothes system example we provided.
| | 00:42 | Step one of the how section is unique
as it's not what you do but instead the
| | 00:47 | event that triggers the need for a system.
| | 00:50 | In this system, step one is
"Monday morning, laundry day, arrives."
| | 00:56 | Step two is where we begin the
step-by-step how-to of the system.
| | 01:00 | If you need help in coming up with
this list, ask yourself this question:
| | 01:05 | What is the next step?
| | 01:07 | Write down that step, and then
again, what's the next step?
| | 01:11 | In our example, you'll see "Sort
clothes into white, light, and dark piles."
| | 01:17 | Then ask what is the next step?
| | 01:20 | Step three is "Place a load of
laundry, all of one kind, in the washer."
| | 01:25 | What's the next step?
| | 01:27 | Step four is "Measure out the appropriate
amount of detergent and add to the washer."
| | 01:32 | What's the next step?
| | 01:34 | Well, the next is optional, but we can
add a laundry booster for tough stains or
| | 01:40 | bleach in the bleach dispenser.
What's the next step?
| | 01:43 | Step six tells us to set the washer
to the appropriate temperature settings.
| | 01:48 | Notice again the use of bullet points
to quickly call out different ideas, and
| | 01:54 | then the rest of the system unfolds
step by step from here. Just keep asking
| | 02:00 | that question, what's the next step and so on,
until you arrive at the end result of the system.
| | 02:07 | You may wonder, what if I have many
steps that are going to make this document
| | 02:12 | spill on to more than one page?
| | 02:15 | My first recommendation is to ask if the system
can or should be broken down into smaller systems.
| | 02:22 | For instance, in this example, trying
to cram both washing and drying into a
| | 02:29 | single page system is unreasonable.
| | 02:32 | So I've broken the two apart and at
the end of the washing system, you'll see
| | 02:37 | the reference to begin the dry clothes system.
| | 02:42 | Create a simple outline that fits onto
one page without making the text size any
| | 02:48 | smaller than is comfortable for reading.
| | 02:51 | As you experiment with documenting
systems, you'll start to get more familiar
| | 02:56 | with how much material you can
comfortably fit onto one page.
| | 03:01 | And now it's your turn. Complete the How
section for the system you chose to work on.
| | 03:08 | After you've documented your first
system, you're ready to move on to the next
| | 03:13 | video where we'll discuss what to do with it.
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| Formalizing systems| 00:00 |
After you've completed the
documentation of your first system, now what?
| | 00:05 |
Next you will submit the document
to someone for review and approval.
| | 00:10 |
This is usually your manager, or if
you happen to be at the top of the
| | 00:14 |
organization chart, you might
want to submit it to a proofreader.
| | 00:18 |
We want a second set of eyes to look
at the system and make sure that what
| | 00:23 |
you've written is actually what takes place.
| | 00:26 |
Perhaps, more importantly, we want to ensure
that it's written in the voice of the company.
| | 00:31 |
When I say the voice, I mean that it is
conveying things in the manner in which
| | 00:37 |
the company wants to represent itself.
| | 00:39 |
For instance, lynda.com has a
particular voice that they use.
| | 00:44 |
A particular tone of conversation that
they use and a particular feeling they
| | 00:49 |
want people to have, which is
friendly, helpful, encouraging and simple.
| | 00:53 |
So they make sure that their training
matches that voice, and I hope I'm doing
| | 00:59 |
a good job with that.
| | 01:00 |
So have someone else review your system, and
make sure that it's accurate and consistent.
| | 01:07 |
Then after they make their edits to the
document, you will want to incorporate
| | 01:12 |
those changes paying close
attention to the edits that they made.
| | 01:16 |
Instead of just making the
edits, try to learn from them.
| | 01:19 |
Find out what they added or what they
removed and ask yourself: Why did they make
| | 01:24 |
this change? What can I do to
write more in this voice in the future?
| | 01:29 |
After you make the changes, you will
resubmit it back to the reviewer for final
| | 01:34 |
inclusion into a company operations
manual, or what many of my clients use,
| | 01:39 |
which is a company wiki.
| | 01:41 |
The idea is once you've created the
system and once it's been approved, we now
| | 01:47 |
want to make it available for
everyone else to use and learn from.
| | 01:51 |
Once it's finalized, you can
begin using it to teach other people.
| | 01:55 |
In a one-to-one or group training, you'll have
the opportunity to fill in the small details.
| | 02:01 |
For an extended explanation on how to
best teach and train other people, see
| | 02:06 |
my videos on preparing and presenting
development in the Effective Meetings
| | 02:11 |
course here on lynda.com.
| | 02:13 |
By reviewing, editing, and then
formalizing systems you create, you will begin
| | 02:18 |
to improve your skills as a
systems expert within the company.
| | 02:23 |
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|
|
3. Building Authority in the PublicFinding your path to authority| 00:00 |
In the last chapter, we covered the
process of how you can build your authority
| | 00:04 |
within the company that you're currently in.
| | 00:07 |
If you complete that process, you'll
already have a significant advantage over
| | 00:12 |
many people in the market.
| | 00:14 |
However, you can take your career to
the next level by building authority in
| | 00:19 |
the general public.
| | 00:21 |
Allow me to give a little
perspective by sharing my background.
| | 00:24 |
I began business coaching many years ago
prior to even completing my degree in business.
| | 00:30 |
Although, I did eventually complete my
degree, I first became certified by a
| | 00:35 |
training company as a small business consultant.
| | 00:38 |
After using their material for
several years to coach small businesses, I
| | 00:43 |
later went independent.
| | 00:45 |
I began creating my own library of training
materials, including worksheets and articles.
| | 00:50 |
I also had a mentor who was a
successful business coach, and he coached me for
| | 00:55 |
many years about how to build my practice.
| | 00:58 |
About 10 years into this process I
decided that I wanted to enhance my value in
| | 01:04 |
the market, so I wrote my first
book The Myth of Multitasking.
| | 01:08 |
That book led me to the opportunity
to be featured in Time magazine, The
| | 01:13 |
BBC News, the Washington Post and many
other national and international press outlets.
| | 01:19 |
This also led to my second book
Invaluable and an increased online following and
| | 01:25 |
my ability to command a better
retainer fee as a business coach.
| | 01:30 |
I give you this brief background
because the journey that I took is to a large
| | 01:35 |
degree a pattern that almost anyone can follow.
| | 01:39 |
It's not that you're going to walk the
exact path that I walked, but it shows
| | 01:44 |
you a path that many people have
followed in their unique ways successfully.
| | 01:50 |
In this chapter, I want to give you
ideas you can use to slowly increase your
| | 01:56 |
authority in the public over time.
| | 01:59 |
This will help you earn even greater
respect and wages in the marketplace.
| | 02:04 |
We'll begin this process in the next
video where I show you how to begin to
| | 02:09 |
climb the authority ladder.
| | 02:12 |
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| Climbing the authority ladder| 00:00 | Let's look at some ways you can
build authority in the general public.
| | 00:04 | To help you do that, I've provided you
with the authority ladder worksheet.
| | 00:09 | Think of building your authority like
climbing a ladder one step at a time.
| | 00:14 | This worksheet shows you rungs in that ladder.
| | 00:17 | Bear in mind that this process may take
years and that you may not follow this
| | 00:23 | exact path, but it gives you a general
idea of how to improve your authority,
| | 00:29 | starting with the easiest
and moving one rung at a time.
| | 00:33 | So let's start at the
bottom of the authority ladder.
| | 00:36 | First is writing helpful
reviews of products and services.
| | 00:41 | I recommend that you focus these reviews in the
area in which you've chosen to become an authority.
| | 00:47 | Next, you can actively comment on others' blogs.
| | 00:51 | You want to participate regularly so that you
become recognized on those blogs as an expert.
| | 00:57 | Next you can also create
your own blog or a podcast.
| | 01:02 | In a matter of minutes, anyone can
create a new blog and begin writing about
| | 01:07 | something that they're passionate about.
| | 01:09 | The trick is in creating a
schedule to write on a regular basis.
| | 01:14 | Next on the authority ladder is
higher education or certification.
| | 01:19 | The titles these provide communicate
to people that you have a high level
| | 01:23 | of expertise and therefore
your words are credible.
| | 01:27 | Next, you can build your own
specialized social network.
| | 01:31 | This involves going onto a popular
social network, and creating a page or
| | 01:37 | a group that follows a specific topic.
| | 01:39 | For instance, if I am talented in
grooming dogs, then I'd create the Dog Groomers
| | 01:43 | Society Online and invite
other dog groomers to participate.
| | 01:48 | By doing this, I'd become the
person leading the discussion.
| | 01:52 | Moving up the ladder, you can create
and consistently send a newsletter.
| | 01:57 | This is something that starts
gradually and grows with your subscriber list.
| | 02:02 | Next, you can build an offline
networking group, a real-world group of people
| | 02:08 | that get together to discuss their interests.
| | 02:10 | Included in this would be
creating your own association.
| | 02:15 | You can also become a guest
expert on other blogs and networks.
| | 02:19 | Having a third party tell others that you're
an expert will very quickly build your authority.
| | 02:26 | Self-publishing a book or a
video course is another option.
| | 02:30 | While it's certainly more credible to
have a book or course that's published and
| | 02:34 | distributed by a major publisher, it's
fairly simple for anyone to self-publish.
| | 02:40 | Next, you can even become a
talk and news radio guest.
| | 02:44 | This is actually much simpler than
it seems as many of these shows are
| | 02:48 | continually looking for experts to interview
and to share knowledge with their audience.
| | 02:54 | Next, you could also have someone else
publish and distribute your book or video course.
| | 03:01 | And then possibly become a columnist for a
publication such as a newspaper or a magazine.
| | 03:07 | And continuing up to the top of the ladder
is national or international press coverage.
| | 03:15 | The authority ladder that I've provided
is designed to be a starting point for you.
| | 03:20 | You may have your own innovations to
build authority. There is a space for you
| | 03:24 | at the bottom to list those ideas.
| | 03:27 | Find where you are right now on the
ladder and consider what next steps you
| | 03:33 | could take to build your authority.
| | 03:36 | As you take that step, you'll
continue your journey up the ladder.
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| Building a library| 00:00 |
In the previous video, I discussed the
authority ladder and how you can climb your way up.
| | 00:06 |
Let's talk about the elements of that
ladder that deal with building your own library.
| | 00:11 |
When I say your library, I don't mean
books that you plan to read but instead
| | 00:16 |
the materials that you will
have built for other people to use.
| | 00:21 |
By building your library of materials
that you can send or perhaps even sell to
| | 00:26 |
other people, you'll establish
tangible evidence of your expertise.
| | 00:31 |
There are three general ways in
which you can build your own library.
| | 00:35 |
They are articles, books, and videos.
| | 00:39 |
Articles are short essays that
you've created about a particular topic.
| | 00:44 |
For simplicity, I'd include a short audio
recordings and blog entries in this as well.
| | 00:50 |
The best way to begin building your
own library and helping other people make
| | 00:54 |
decisions is by regularly writing an article.
| | 00:58 |
You'll want to create a schedule and
set aside some time at least twice a month
| | 01:03 |
to create a new article.
| | 01:05 |
Now some of you may think, "Dave, I'm
not very good at sitting down and writing,
| | 01:09 |
or it's very painful to me;
it's not one of my talents."
| | 01:12 |
The good news is there are easy ways to create
articles for those of you who are more verbal.
| | 01:18 |
For instance, I can use a good quality
audio recorder and dictate my thoughts on
| | 01:24 |
an item and have someone else transcribe
them or use dictation software instead.
| | 01:30 |
Whichever way you choose, be sure to
edit the transcription after it's complete.
| | 01:35 |
By writing a string of short articles,
you actually make it easier to create
| | 01:40 |
your next item in the library, which is a book.
| | 01:43 |
The more you get comfortable with
writing and creating short articles, the
| | 01:48 |
easier it will be for you to create a book.
| | 01:51 |
The book can be an assembly of all the
things that you've created up to this
| | 01:55 |
point, or it can be something that
delves more deeply into a popular topic.
| | 02:01 |
Let's say I'm talented in
creating cartoon characters.
| | 02:05 |
I may start by writing articles; sharing
some of the cartoon characters that I'm making.
| | 02:11 |
Then I might compile all of those
writings into a comprehensive book about how
| | 02:16 |
to create cartoon characters.
| | 02:18 |
As long as you have a good amount of
material that can be packaged as a book,
| | 02:23 |
you're ready to be an author.
| | 02:25 |
There's no hard rule about how long a
book needs to be or even what format it
| | 02:31 |
should be delivered in. You're only
limited by your creativity. And that leads us
| | 02:36 |
to the third item that you can
include in your library, which is video.
| | 02:41 |
Video is becoming more widely accepted
as a medium for teaching people, and it's
| | 02:47 |
becoming more affordable
for anyone to get started.
| | 02:51 |
There are many resources here on lynda.com
that can teach you how to create
| | 02:56 |
videos of professional
quality, even with limited resources.
| | 03:00 |
You don't necessarily need to be in front
of a camera like I am now to create videos.
| | 03:06 |
Using the example of our cartoon expert,
you could have videos that shoot over
| | 03:11 |
your shoulder as you draw pictures, or
perhaps even capture the screen if you're
| | 03:16 |
using digital illustration.
| | 03:18 |
If you can bring your expertise to
life in a video, people will hear your
| | 03:24 |
voice and see your work in action, and they
will become more familiar with your expertise.
| | 03:31 |
In summary, every public authority in
some way has built their own library;
| | 03:36 |
you can begin building yours today.
| | 03:39 |
All it takes is your first article.
| | 03:43 |
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| Building an online network| 00:00 |
Now let's talk about how you
can build an online network.
| | 00:04 |
In becoming an authority, it's
certainly nice to be invited by other people to
| | 00:08 |
speak as a guest expert.
| | 00:10 |
Imagine though if you were the one
inviting experts to speak to the group you lead.
| | 00:16 |
That's exactly what I'm talking
about when I suggest that you create your
| | 00:20 |
own online network.
| | 00:22 |
Before I go through some of the
concepts behind this, here is a caution.
| | 00:26 |
If you're working for a company you
want to be very careful not to violate
| | 00:30 |
any company policy.
| | 00:32 |
When I talk about building a social
network, I am referring to building your
| | 00:37 |
perceived authority by
becoming the leader of other leaders.
| | 00:42 |
Let's say that I'm an expert in organic
gardening, or least I want to become an expert.
| | 00:48 |
I can go onto a social networking site
such as Facebook and create a group for
| | 00:54 |
organic gardening enthusiasts.
| | 00:56 |
I might even get more specific, such as
creating a group for organic gardening in
| | 01:01 |
Phoenix, which would focus it
geographically, or organic gardening on the patio,
| | 01:08 |
which would focus on a target market.
| | 01:11 |
The more focused you can get your message
the easier it will be to build your authority.
| | 01:16 |
I can then invite other people who
are already perceived experts in this
| | 01:21 |
topic to join the group.
| | 01:23 |
I can invite them to share their
articles and their blog posts on the site.
| | 01:29 |
By doing this, I become the curator of
information and a gatekeeper of sorts,
| | 01:35 |
because I'm the one inviting people,
and I'm the one commenting on their posts,
| | 01:40 |
I immediately build my authority
because I'm associating with other experts.
| | 01:47 |
This is a very quick and simple way to
position yourself as a decision leader.
| | 01:52 |
This technique of creating a topical
group online is usually much more effective
| | 01:58 |
than creating a group about you.
| | 02:01 |
Unless you've already had a lot of
publicity and attention, most people don't
| | 02:06 |
know you well enough to seek
or follow a group about you.
| | 02:10 |
Yet that's not to say that you don't
have valuable things to offer; it just
| | 02:15 |
means you haven't built enough
authority yet to have a following.
| | 02:19 |
Create a group about a topic that
already has a following and get people
| | 02:25 |
to follow that group.
| | 02:27 |
Then you put yourself as the leader of
that group and begin sharing items from
| | 02:32 |
your library with the group over time.
| | 02:35 |
The beautiful thing about this is that
thanks to improvements in social media,
| | 02:40 |
it's simple for anyone to do.
| | 02:43 |
So take a moment right now to decide
what kind of group you want to create, then
| | 02:49 |
set aside time in your
calendar to begin the process.
| | 02:53 |
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| Building an offline network| 00:00 |
In my course on building professional
connections, I talked about how valuable
| | 00:04 |
networking groups and associations
can be in helping you become invaluable.
| | 00:09 |
These groups can be especially helpful
in building your authority, particularly
| | 00:14 |
if you're the person who
creates and leads those groups.
| | 00:18 |
The same principles in building an online
network apply offline, in the real world.
| | 00:23 |
Once you've decided on your area of
expertise and you've created the online
| | 00:27 |
network that you want to build,
then you can create an offline group.
| | 00:32 |
I recommend building the group locally as
that's the easiest to get people to attend.
| | 00:38 |
Begin small. Don't feel like you need to
have 50, 100, or even 10 people to begin.
| | 00:44 |
If you start with just three or four
interested people, you have the nucleus to form a group.
| | 00:51 |
Think of it like an association,
regardless of what you want to call it. Any
| | 00:55 |
association you've seen, such as the
Association of Accountants or Homebuilders,
| | 01:01 |
all began with just a few people
getting together to discuss common interests.
| | 01:06 |
For instance, suppose I create an
association of ski instructors in my area. I
| | 01:12 |
would invite all the ski instructors
in the state to join the association to
| | 01:16 |
get together to discuss how to become better
ski instructors or how to grow our businesses.
| | 01:21 |
I might even take those relationships
that I'm building offline and connect them
| | 01:26 |
to my online association.
| | 01:28 |
If it's not possible to meet together
physically, you can meet through telephone
| | 01:32 |
conferencing or even web conference.
| | 01:35 |
As you get people talking with each
other to build connections, it also serves
| | 01:40 |
you in building your authority
because you can be the president.
| | 01:44 |
Even if someone else becomes the
president later, you'll always be the founder,
| | 01:48 |
which is one more feather in your authority cap.
| | 01:52 |
It's very possible that the type of
group that you want to form already exists.
| | 01:57 |
In this case, you have a couple of
options. First, you can try to create a more
| | 02:02 |
targeted version of that group.
| | 02:04 |
For instance, I might try to create a
group that focuses in a suburb of larger
| | 02:09 |
city or that specializes in a more narrow topic.
| | 02:12 |
So using my example I might focus on
high-altitude ski instructors in Aspen.
| | 02:19 |
The other option is to join the
existing association and commit to becoming a
| | 02:25 |
part of its leadership.
| | 02:27 |
You'll do this by regularly being
involved in volunteering time to help them
| | 02:31 |
grow, with the intention that over
time you'll earn a leadership position
| | 02:36 |
within the association.
| | 02:37 |
There is no right or wrong way to do this.
The goal is to build your credibility
| | 02:43 |
and your authority by either creating
or actively participating in groups that
| | 02:48 |
are related to your area of expertise.
| | 02:51 |
It's another important
step on the authority ladder.
| | 02:55 |
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| Gaining personal publicity| 00:00 |
Recognition and coverage in the press
can be very helpful when building your
| | 00:05 |
reputation as an authority and a
decision leader, not only will it give you
| | 00:09 |
exposure to people who are interested in
your expertise but it becomes a resume builder.
| | 00:15 |
In this video, I'll discuss just two
ways you can begin getting publicity.
| | 00:20 |
Let's talk about becoming a guest
expert on other blogs and networks.
| | 00:25 |
This involves finding people who are
already discussing issues related to your
| | 00:29 |
expertise or who are speaking to your market.
| | 00:33 |
For instance, if I'm an expert in
parenting techniques that nurture
| | 00:37 |
children, becoming a guest expert on
blogs for parents is a great outlet for me.
| | 00:43 |
You start by approaching these bloggers
and asking them if they ever interview
| | 00:48 |
experts or have guest posts on their blog.
| | 00:51 |
This also works with company
or association newsletters.
| | 00:55 |
You can be a guest author for an
article on your area of expertise.
| | 00:59 |
I've found from experience that these
sources are much more likely to bring you
| | 01:03 |
on as an expert if you've already been
actively participating with them for some time.
| | 01:09 |
If they can see that you're already a
supporter and participating, they are
| | 01:13 |
going to be much more likely to want
to help you than someone who has not
| | 01:18 |
been involved at all.
| | 01:19 |
If you have something from your
authority library that you can send them,
| | 01:24 |
they'll also be more likely to invite
you as a guest because they'll see that
| | 01:28 |
you already have a body of work.
| | 01:31 |
Moving up the ladder, being a
talk or news radio guest is an option
| | 01:36 |
especially locally.
| | 01:38 |
I can tell you from having grown up
around the radio industry, the talk and news
| | 01:43 |
stations have a lot of time that they
need to fill in their schedule and they
| | 01:47 |
are actively looking for good guests.
| | 01:50 |
The key is having a message that is
relevant and interesting to their audience.
| | 01:55 |
These shows are not interested in
promoting you, although they're often very
| | 02:00 |
willing to do so if you
provide a meaningful interview.
| | 02:04 |
What they do want is to entertain,
educate, and inspire their audience.
| | 02:09 |
A great place to begin is to research
online who a particular show's producer is
| | 02:15 |
and then approach that
producer on what you have to offer.
| | 02:19 |
You'll do this with what's called a hook.
| | 02:22 |
A hook is something that's controversial
or exciting to a potential radio listener.
| | 02:27 |
If I'm an expert in parenting
techniques that nurture, my hook might be the top
| | 02:32 |
five mistakes parents make or
how to handle temper tantrums.
| | 02:38 |
These are just two ways that almost
anyone can begin to get some publicity.
| | 02:44 |
By being creative, you'll find many
other outlets for presenting your message to
| | 02:48 |
groups of people, who will be
interested in learning from you.
| | 02:52 |
Just keep this rule in mind,
publications, blogs, radio shows, or any kind of
| | 02:58 |
publicity source exists to serve their audience.
| | 03:02 |
If you can show them how you can make
their job easier and serve their audience,
| | 03:07 |
they'll be interested in you.
| | 03:09 |
Then they can become a partner in
helping you build your authority and
| | 03:14 |
becoming invaluable.
| | 03:16 |
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ConclusionFinal thoughts| 00:00 | Remember, your goal is not to become a
celebrity, but instead to build your value by becoming
| | 00:06 | a recognized leader in your area of expertise.
| | 00:10 | Also keep in mind that authority is perhaps
the greatest multiplier of your market value.
| | 00:17 | Although the process may take years if you
can commit to it, it will pay big dividends
| | 00:22 | to your career in the long run.
This is a marathon, not a sprint.
| | 00:27 | The easiest place to start is within the
company that you are working for right now.
| | 00:33 | As you build your authority there, you can
began reaching out to the general public and
| | 00:38 | increasing your market value by
becoming perceived as a decision leader.
| | 00:43 | No matter where you are in the process,
there's likely to be one step higher that you can
| | 00:48 | take up the authority ladder.
| | 00:51 | Take that step and you can see significant
progress toward becoming invaluable.
| | 00:56 |
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