Who is your influencer?
Was in a dialog yesterday with a friend discussing how we had arrived at where we are today in our careers. The conversation inevitably turned to influencers. It was an easy choice for me, but likely a surprising one to many. I met Paul Huber somewhere around 1996 I guess when I went to San Francisco to work for Miller/Huber Relationship Marketing managing the interactive division. As the name suggests Paul was a core part of the business and creative director for what was one of the most creative firms out there at the time.
Yes, he was extremely talented. Yes, he had a great personality. And yes, part of it was that this small town boy clicked with him a little more than some of the west coasters. And all of those things are great, but it’s not why he impacted me so greatly. You see I fully believe I had a couple of paths before me.
The internet world was coming into bloom in a massive way. The pace was building towards what would become the center ring of the circus known as the “internet boom”. For the most part it was a young man’s world and the world was our oyster. But when you throw a lot of young guys/gals who have intelligence and talent to spare but not a lot of management experience, into positions of power the outcome can get ugly. And in many cases it did. You know the type, Type A personalities who lead by aggressiveness and fear as they think that’s where they’ll find respect. They have that need to *prove* to everyone around them who’s in charge. Now I can’t say that if I was left to my own devices I would have necessarily ended up in that same boat, I just know it was an available easy path for me to take without any guidance to the contrary.
Luckily for me, Paul was my mentor (whether he knew it or not) in how to earn respect and demand the best out of your people yet still be approachable, never demeaning, and always respectful until it was no longer deserved. You *wanted* to give him your best, simply because you knew he expected it of you as a person. If you’re not going to bring your A-game then why show up to play? In the heart of the storm (which at that time seemed to be every other day) he was the calming force that everyone looked to. The funny thing is, my guess is I don’t really stand out in Paul’s mind when he looks back on those days. Another blip in the road. Amazing what someone can do for you without even knowing it. What I do know is that it’s a damned shame I’ve never really expressed to him how he helped shape a major part of my belief system, my management style, and my overall outlook. So I decided that ends today and plan on pointing him to this article. I think someone should know if they are responsible for helping make you a better person.
Who has changed your life or impacted your career to such a degree? Can you see that tipping point in your life where it could have gone a very different way but there was someone who nudged you in the right direction? Most importantly, have you told them so?
Matt Ridings
- @techguerilla
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