How to Make an Immediate Impact

• You are a breath of fresh air to any team because your first response to anyone’s comment or point of view is to affirm it. You nod. You smile. You encourage. Lead with this strength. It will encourage people to become increasingly open around you. Of course, you may not agree with everything they are telling you, but because you begin by honoring their “truth,” you set things up for better collaboration in the future.

• You feed off being able to help people get what they want. So try to put yourself in situations where you will receive immediate feedback on whether you have indeed given people what they want. Their laughter, smiles, tears, transformations, realizations, these are your fuel. Of course, there is some risk here—maybe they won’t laugh or cry or be transformed—and most people shy away from this risk. But you don’t. So volunteer for this “high risk” activity and you’ll not only feel more alive, you will also earn the respect of your colleagues.

• Because you present such a positive front to the world, you might initially come across as light and fluffy. To counter this, buttress your positive energy with facts and data that support your opinions. These will help others realize that there is substance behind the flash— “brains behind the bronze”—and, as such, you will gain much needed credibility.

• You instinctively see the best in others. So take it upon yourself to give detailed feedback to your new teammates. Catch them doing something right, and then play it back for them. Tell them what you saw, why it impressed you, who benefited. You are not a fake flatterer. Instead, you are an attentive and generous audience. Your teammates could do with more of this kind of attention—it will stimulate them to repeat their best performances.

• Your energy builds momentum toward specific outcomes. Put yourself in situations where there are already clear goals. Guided by these goals, your energy will have a natural channel and so will be seen as instrumental in making something happen. Target yourself in this way and you’ll gain a reputation as a productive person, as well as a fun person.