“All have their worth, and each contributes to the worth of the others.”
Everybody wants to be known for their talent. However, as technology continues to streamline the way we do business, it can be challenging to stand out in a culture normalized by digital services. It’s one thing to be an excellent salesperson; it’s quite another to be the key person of a kitchen/bath design firm.
When we cultivate others’ dependency on our services, we go from playing an essential role to becoming the key player in a business.
Interdependence over independence
Independence is often thought of as the key to power because it grants mobility. But independence only empowers an individual – no one can use their independence to affect others’ dependence on you determinately.
Interdependence is the key ingredient to leveraging influence – and thus power – over your team.
Stephen Covey famously wrote about interdependence, as did Robert Greene in his book The 48 Laws of Power.
Greene’s Law 11 teaches that we should create a need to make other people dependent on us. The more our associates rely upon us, the more we can leverage our influence over them.
The difference between playing an important role and being a key player in a business is that even those who play important parts may be fired in tough times – while key players are integral to a business’s operations and must be retained at all costs. Key players can’t be fired because a company would not function efficiently without them.
Be the key player: Five ways to cultivate others’ dependence on you
When we bring our skills and talents to a team, we create an opportunity to stand out from others. But, to make ourselves vital to an organization, we need to create a network of interdependent people who rely on us for business to operate smoothly.
There are several vital things that you can do to enhance your position in the work and social circles of your life to leverage peoples’ reliance on you. Put these 5 tips to use and become the key player in business:
- Bond with those who need help.
Don’t avoid people who need help. Less efficient coworkers can’t make you look bad if you’re doing a great job – but you can make them look and feel better at doing theirs.
Whether they have little experience or are in management roles – assist those who are less adept in their position and build a relationship with them that increases their dependency on you.
This will demonstrate your leadership to others and increase your value to the firm.
- Be forthright and generous in offering your assistance.
As people take notice of your leadership, get them to assist you with tasks just by asking. Don’t pressure anyone into helping you or try to bribe them. People will be drawn to you by how they’ve seen you help others.
Become invaluable to your superiors by enmeshing yourself in their work so they come to rely on your assistance. By being the go-to person to get major company advances done, such as setting up and implementing DesignAlign technology, you inadvertently show your ability to solve problems and lead more quickly than your peers.
- Be observant.
When you are at the service of your peers, you get to know the ins and outs of a firm better than others. Those with talent, skill, and knowledge are the least likely to be replaced and the most likely to be promoted.
If the investment in your company surpasses your duties, you become a valuable commodity to the company. It becomes too expensive to get rid of you or to train other people to do what you do – and give them time to learn what you have mastered.
- Cultivate relationships.
Nurture relationships with the heads of other firms so they would jump at the opportunity to bring you onboard if you were to leave your position.
Having another business opportunity gives you a leveraging point when you’re feeling unappreciated or at odds with your organization. Your contacts are another way to increase your value to your employer.
- Cultivate interdependence.
By bringing others together to work better as a team, you demonstrate leadership. This doesn’t mean that you’re the boss – but that you are the dominant influence of the group.
—SEN Leadership Team
