Leaving Your Mark

How do you leave your mark best with others?

Do you ever leave a conversation with a colleague or friend and replay it over and over in your mind? They might have said something that left you inspired or even challenged your thinking in a positive way, forcing you to chew on their words long after the conversation. I love it when I gain a new idea that will improve the way I do life or business.

Do you do that for others? How? Often times, it is nothing intentional, it’s more of a natural extension of our unique personalities and experiences.

Learning and Growing

We do this most, though, when we are involved in learning or doing new things ourselves. Trying, failing or succeeding, with a new app, technology, recipe, or curriculum gives us the credibility and conviction to share our experiences with others. When we share passionately about a book or author we are reading and enjoying, others are intrigued and might investigate for themselves.

Listening Well

We also do this best when we are good listeners. If we care enough to really listen and understand another person’s situation, we will more thoughtfully share what is relevant to their needs and not just tout our own ideals.  We might even just be able to ask a question or two that gets to the heart of their issue and clarify their thinking.

Caring

But this happens most effectively when people know that we care. People can quickly tell when we truly care about something. And when others can sense that we honestly care about them as well, they trust our ideas and suggestions because we have their best interests in mind.

In our families, we can be this person for our children. They might grow a new interest as we share passionately about ours. We can take time to really listen to our kids, hear what they are interested in, and ask questions that inspire them to learn and grow.

In business relationships, it is valuable to be this person for our customers. They will pursue conversations with us and respect our insights and ideas.