Invisible Influencer

“The more invisible you can make your organization, the more influence it will have”. The saying flashed across while watching a gripping documentary recently on Netflix. The person who quoted this was hailed as one of the most powerful individuals you ‘never’ heard of. Come to think of it, this is a profound understanding of how our society operates today. The strategic conditioning of the human behavior has incited us to disclose every aspect of our lives. These conniving motives expose us to all forms of big data servers who thrive on user information and sell everything possible under the sun – from a toothpaste to a politician. While we are exposed to the networked jungle, the motivations of the big data servers are unknown to the very user whose information has been accessed.

I stumble across hordes of influencers on social media trying to create a ding a in the universe. That’s commendable when you look at it from 30,000 feet above. However, penetrating deep into the influencer program one would find all kinds of large and small corporate networks selling products, service or an idea. What are these large and small corporates really trying to do? Advertise or seek critical customer information to be abused at will. Again, are the influencers really creating an impact or have turned into a bait themselves. What happens to these influencers when new platforms of advertising emerge? How will the popularity on a single network be leveraged across? And if everyone is an influencer, who is the audience or what are they influencing people about? These are hard unanswered questions.

Yes, you can create an impression in the space you operate. This can be effectively established by staying private and not dependent on any networked platform. For you do not own any of the audience information on the network. It all belongs to the large server. Show of every move distracts our course and we lose focus on what is intended out of our actions.

Additionally, a second order thinking must be formed while creating an influence on people or society. First order thinking is to seek the immediate benefit of an action. A second order thinking is to deduce what negative outcomes the action might have? Buying a car for the benefit of comfort and travel is a good first order thought. However, what happens to your body and health by giving up on walking or standing must be accounted for. How do you plan for burning those calories which you pile on by traveling in a car? is a second order thinking. Inculcate this method into the boundaries of your influencing narrative. Being a nutritionist, health instructor, life coach to teach positive habits are very good. But influencers should own the responsibility of disclosing complete information on eating food types or working out in the form of disclaimers.

Staying invisible keeps you away from the prying eyes of a capitalist network. Building your own brand should hold precedence than helping businesses use your infinite potential. You create a deeper influence with people by operating behind the curtains. The sense of gratification to see your protege thrive on your wisdom is unmatched and enduring. The bonds formed out of these relationships are the most powerful as a king-maker than aspiring to be the king. It also makes sense that every influencer attaches valid credentials for the idea they want to proliferate. Why should someone listen to you? What makes you stand out? What impact you want to create on your audience, should be spelled out. It is some of these gradations that will separate the seasoned crusader from a con artist. As it has been famously quoted, “The trick is to win in private, even if everyone thinks you are losing in public”.