Feb. 1, 2026
Episode 331 - Influential Leadership: How to Lead Without a Title and Create Lasting Impact
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In this episode of the Wealth Academy Podcast, Paul Lawrence Vann explores the power of influential leadership. why it matters, how it differs from positional leadership, and the practical steps anyone can take to grow their influence regardless of title or role.
Topics Covered:
- The true definition of influential leadership
- Why influence matters more than authority
- Core traits of high-impact leaders
- How to build trust, credibility, and long-term influence
- Practical leadership actions you can take immediately
Key Takeaway:
Influence is earned through self-leadership, integrity, and consistent value—not position.
Connect with Paul Lawrence Vann:
- Website: paulvannspeaks.com
- Podcast: Wealth Academy Podcast
- Speaking & Coaching: Leadership Development Programs
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wealth-academy-podcast-wealth-is-more-than-just-money/donations
WEBVTT
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[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome, one and all.
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[SPEAKER_00]: On the host Paul Lawrence van, I host Wellf Academy podcast and episode number 331 is coming your way.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what I'm going to talk about in sharing this particular episode is the importance of being an influential leader.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, influential leadership really is what drives organizations to excellence.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I want to share that with you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Part of the reason why is because I wrote a book, title, Leadership is Inflon.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm going to share a little bit about that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so it can help you as you start this new year off in this first quarter understanding that
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[SPEAKER_00]: The difference between you, your peers, your colleagues, is your level of self leadership, which actually helps position you to become an influential leader.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's what I'm going to be sharing today.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm glad that you could be with me.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, the very first month of this year, January is really, really a real winter.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just saying that old man winter is not joking around this year.
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[SPEAKER_00]: but I digress and I know we can have as much fun and snow that we can in this summer time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I've embraced it at all and I hope that you are too.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So let's get started and one of the reasons why I want to talk about leadership today is because I just want you to take an observation of leadership.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I want you to take it nationally, globally, locally,
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[SPEAKER_00]: regionally and statewide because when you really get down to it, we're all leaders and people asked, well, how could it be?
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[SPEAKER_00]: I don't have the title of a leader.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That's the point.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to have the title of a leader to be a leader.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But we all have to do this and you can be truly agree with me is that we all have to lead our lives.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Some do it better than others.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But it is
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that's one of the reasons why I want to share and talk to you about this today.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, here's the book that I wrote here.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Leadership is influenced.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I took time out to write this book a couple of years ago primarily because I had served in the Air Force for 22 years and leadership was really my focus area.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, my specialty area was financial management.
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[SPEAKER_00]: cost analysis, budget analysis, acquisitions, and then I graduated to legislation, but they all include leadership at one level or another.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's what I want to talk to you about today, and I want to share my three-pronged approach to become a leader of influence, as you can see written on this book right here.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Individual who works for an organization, let's say it is a reading with a title, let's say some president of a company or executive vice president, then we get into the management side.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And the management side is that that piece where we have those micro-reprofessionals, who can ultimately become the senior leader of an organization or if it's the military to become a general officer, whatever it may be.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so one of the things I want you to understand is that an employee themselves is a leader.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now they don't see themselves a little, you don't have to tell you why.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because no one is told them.
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[SPEAKER_00]: People don't want to see a leader with a title, but I'm telling you, there are some employees that can run circles around a person, I'll either with a title.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll just put it out there.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It happens every day to put it on what industry it is.
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[SPEAKER_00]: AI industry, right, that artificial intelligence industry.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so I want you to understand, I'm going to share three main points with you today.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Number one is going to be about the kind of influential leader you want to position yourself to have those opportunities to study other leaders, right, in in house where you actually work
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[SPEAKER_00]: what I want you to take from that is that as an employee, if you don't get the work done, who does, so employee is a leader as well, and I'll come back to that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then secondly, become an influential leader, you have to have experience that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So if there's a special project
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[SPEAKER_00]: step it up to the plate if you will.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The young woman or young man step up to the plate in volunteer.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That will give you the best experience.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If you don't get it in your organization then you can also work with organizations out in the community as a volunteer.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that would give you leadership experience.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then number three, you really need that leadership development training.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So we have this Trinity that's working.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm going to share each one of them with you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I use one example in the book about Tom Brady, who I really enjoy.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I'm a sports fan.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I played football when I was in high school.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And people say Tom Brady, he's a natural leader.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He wasn't born with a helmet on and had cleats on.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He just didn't pass any balls.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It footballs when he was an infant.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He was develop over time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what Walter Bennett's one of the four most leadership experts tell us.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so as a result, we all have to be developed.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now one way, I'll just give you an example.
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[SPEAKER_00]: When I was working in the Pentagon, I was working down the hall one day.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I had just arrived there because I had a break in military service.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then ultimately at Mobile Chemical Company, and I was recall.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But the Pentagon didn't tell me why I was recall.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I was recall as a captain, which is the rank I was when I left.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's because they had the does a show and does a storm.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so they brought me back.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Some walkin' down a hall, glant feet back in the blue, blue, Air Force uniform.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I was blinded by the light.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We're actually about a start.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And it was General Colin Powell walking down the hallside, you know, I asked him, wave that him and I knew he was busy.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And he went, where he was going, I went, where I was going.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you emulate these people.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's like, wow, you know, I'm actually in the same building with this great leader.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so I purchased books about him.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I'll learn from leadership strategies and approaches from him and his philosophy and other leaders as well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And as a result, because you really need to read a lot, and then you may 10 events that they're at.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If they're speaking engagement, you want to go there and listen to what they have to say.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Today, you can find a lot out of there on social media.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And you can learn about people a lot easier than you could in the past, because you think people doing things virtually, especially since COVID-19.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So as an employee, as a mentor, a professional manager, supervisor, and as a leader with the title, it's all about having those contacts, those engagements, those appearances, looking at people because no matter what title a person has, there's always someone who has another title, but are they getting the work accomplished?
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[SPEAKER_00]: That's the main thing, is their productivity.
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[SPEAKER_00]: the key to the leader's vision, mission, and goals, but you are a leader, but no one has told you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm telling you, you are a leader.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I don't care what it is.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Like we used to use the examples in the Air Force.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, you know, this company is selling widgets.
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[SPEAKER_00]: could be check-up board squares or jack rocks or something like that and what you want to do is that you want to be able to see what's being considered as the object for productivity.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you produce X amount, but it's the employee who actually gets to work done.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I would imagine that Amazon Or let's let me use example working at UPS when I worked at UPS.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I had to load boxes then I graduated from there and I saw it boxes and then as a college student it was no problem
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I did it and I loved the work that I did because it was building up to my next transition, which was to be Officer Second Lieutenant Air Force and then I promoted all the way up to Lieutenant Colonel over the 22 years of duty.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So number one, you have to become a student of the craft of leadership.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And once you do and you start learning,
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[SPEAKER_00]: No one ever taught me that before.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that's the point.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Most people aren't in top leadership, but that is a main requirement today, they need.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So we have that went down Pat.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So let's look at number two.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Number two is action to lead 18.
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[SPEAKER_00]: For example, let's say we are working at mobile-owned company, like I have in the past.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And we are looking at how do we get the production level up for the petal chemicals, the benzene entirely, where you go into the gas.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So if you have the gas station and you pump a gas and you smell that, that's what you're smelling.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's smelling benzene, it's smelling, and so they have to get the chemical engineers, the production team, you bring me in the financial guy financial analyst, how can we,
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[SPEAKER_00]: improve getting more product.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So we might run an audit bringing one to the big five.
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[SPEAKER_00]: auditors teams and we have to get the volume of the product that's in the take and then we have to get the temperature of it because that impacts how much is actually in there as a part of the audit.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so you want to work on a special project so you want to bring and team members.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you may bring in when I was doing the acquisition work, you may want to bring someone and who's a logistition.
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[SPEAKER_00]: mechanical engineer, you want to bring in the human resources, you want to bring in your cost estimators or your financial managers, but you bring in a whole team and you leave that team and the leader with a title knows that you're leading this team.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and if you bring your team together and you produce what needs to be produced in order to get a competitive advantage, then you're gaining that experience.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But then again, as I stated before, you can also do that as a volunteer.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I was a PTA president of my children's school for two years.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I was getting maximum leadership experience working not only with the parents, but also with the
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[SPEAKER_00]: It was at Joint Base Andrews.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I was working with the Base Commander, the person who goes out and greets the president.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It chief of staff when their flight is either departing or returning.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so you get these experiences.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that adds up to helping you to become an infant that you'll later, our eight-liter of influence.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll put the book here once again.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then the third part,
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[SPEAKER_00]: is that you want to actually attend leadership development training.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason why this is important is because, first of all, it's professional growth.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And we all need to grow, but we all also need an influential leader knows this.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You need to actually develop other leaders within your organizations.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if you happen to work in an organization and the leader with the title has his or her door closed all day,
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll just go on record to say that they're not a very good leader and influential leader at that because you have to get out and talk to people.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You have to communicate with people for the different direct or divisions within the company.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if you sit behind a leader with a title sitting behind their desk all the time, they're really not going to get what they really need.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You get what you need by talking to people.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You know, and being a leader, you have to have excellent communication skills.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You have to have empathy, you have to have emotional intelligence.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You have to really understand people.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because that's what moves the organization.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And once you develop other leaders through the leadership development training, ensure that the training is coming from one source, not different leadership trainers, but the same one.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And you can focus and you can all head in the same direction.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason why this works when you provide these leadership core competencies is because your competitors aren't doing this.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And oftentimes, the leader with the title hasn't even intended a leadership development program, which is really just hard to believe.
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[SPEAKER_00]: However, it happens every day.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then the managers don't have this feel.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and they're trying to act as if they're leading when they really aren't because a leader is not leading if they're not listening to the people that work for them.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's the Trinity of what this book is all about.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna put it on this side now.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Leadership is influence.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I wrote, this is short read, but it's a powerful read.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Here's the back of it, right there.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, you can get it on Amazon and so the bottom line is that in order to look at today's currency and this dynamic workforce and workplace, it all comes down to how well you are, you know how to have self leadership, know how to lead yourself and position yourself for a leadership role down the line.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and it's very important that you do this.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And not only professionally, but personally as well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If you look at your life, if you just take five minutes out of your day, get a note pad, a legal sheet of paper, and just look at where is your personal life and is it congruent with your professional life?
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[SPEAKER_00]: If one is not strong, then the other is not going to be strong.
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[SPEAKER_00]: you're the same person in your professional life that you are in your personal life.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And once you have that alignment together, then you can become an influential leader.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And one of the things that I talk about, especially my webinars I talk about, being your authentic self, not planned politics, but receiving a view degree of visibility you need from the executives,
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[SPEAKER_00]: so that they know who you are and that you ultimately would become the only choice for the next promotion that's coming up.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I wanted to share with you today.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Again, we're in Q1, first quarter of 2026.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And there's no better time to position yourself to become the best leader you can be and an influential leader at that than now.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I ask you the question, if not now, when,
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[SPEAKER_00]: actually lean and pour yourself into this.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if you have any questions, of course, and want to learn more about what I provide, go to this website, www.PaulVandSpeakS.com.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And you'll learn more about me.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You'll also learn more about the book.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And some of the speaking engagements I've had in addition to the leadership development training I provide.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I've been interviewed on probably 150 radio shows throughout the U.S. Canada and around the world and I've hosted over 330 episodes of my podcast, but I had a show before this called the wealthy speaker talk radio show and I had 900 episodes.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I interviewed people from all over the world from every background and industry that you can imagine and to have great
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[SPEAKER_00]: Communication skills is a plus.
17:29.744 --> 17:42.116
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a member of the National Speakers Association and I've been on 12 city speaking tours on book tours and I'm in the second chapter of my professional life and career.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And as a result, I just want to share what I know with you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I've spoken at Caesar's palace leading a leadership panel there spoken in Paris France twice.
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[SPEAKER_00]: In the Ukraine, as well as Kenya, Canada, City University, New York, United States Air Force Massacre International Headquarters and many, many others.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so I've been around in terms of building up my credibility and I know that you
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[SPEAKER_00]: could really use my particular skill sets and expertise, especially when it comes to leadership.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And leadership is very, very important to me.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I know that it can be very important to you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I would love to work with you if you'd like to.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And you can also get me my email at info.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I end up at some old Paul, P-A-U-L-V-N-V-A-N-E-S-P-E-A-K-S.com, or you can get me there.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So, that's going to include this particular episode of Wealth Academy podcast.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Get out there on Apple Podcasts, write and review this episode.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Episode number 331, when I'm talking about influential leadership in the war, the for it, especially for you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so get out there, share this with your family, friends and colleagues, and I look forward to seeing you on the next episode of Wellf Academy podcast.
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[SPEAKER_00]: My time is up and I thank you for yours and have a wonderful wonderful day.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome, one and all.
00:04.286 --> 00:11.462
[SPEAKER_00]: On the host Paul Lawrence van, I host Wellf Academy podcast and episode number 331 is coming your way.
00:12.063 --> 00:18.698
[SPEAKER_00]: And what I'm going to talk about in sharing this particular episode is the importance of being an influential leader.
00:19.201 --> 00:24.251
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, influential leadership really is what drives organizations to excellence.
00:25.032 --> 00:27.417
[SPEAKER_00]: And I want to share that with you.
00:27.937 --> 00:32.827
[SPEAKER_00]: Part of the reason why is because I wrote a book, title, Leadership is Inflon.
00:32.867 --> 00:34.750
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm going to share a little bit about that.
00:35.392 --> 00:42.525
[SPEAKER_00]: And so it can help you as you start this new year off in this first quarter understanding that
00:42.505 --> 00:54.261
[SPEAKER_00]: The difference between you, your peers, your colleagues, is your level of self leadership, which actually helps position you to become an influential leader.
00:54.882 --> 00:56.704
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's what I'm going to be sharing today.
00:56.764 --> 00:58.286
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm glad that you could be with me.
00:58.667 --> 01:05.496
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, the very first month of this year, January is really, really a real winter.
01:06.898 --> 01:11.905
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just saying that old man winter is not joking around this year.
01:12.340 --> 01:19.867
[SPEAKER_00]: but I digress and I know we can have as much fun and snow that we can in this summer time.
01:19.967 --> 01:23.090
[SPEAKER_00]: So I've embraced it at all and I hope that you are too.
01:23.450 --> 01:34.119
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's get started and one of the reasons why I want to talk about leadership today is because I just want you to take an observation of leadership.
01:35.000 --> 01:40.525
[SPEAKER_00]: I want you to take it nationally, globally, locally,
01:41.433 --> 01:50.666
[SPEAKER_00]: regionally and statewide because when you really get down to it, we're all leaders and people asked, well, how could it be?
01:50.686 --> 01:52.849
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't have the title of a leader.
01:53.671 --> 01:54.432
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the point.
01:55.373 --> 01:57.937
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to have the title of a leader to be a leader.
01:58.918 --> 02:05.828
[SPEAKER_00]: But we all have to do this and you can be truly agree with me is that we all have to lead our lives.
02:06.789 --> 02:08.552
[SPEAKER_00]: Some do it better than others.
02:09.213 --> 02:10.815
[SPEAKER_00]: But it is
02:10.947 --> 02:15.294
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's one of the reasons why I want to share and talk to you about this today.
02:15.534 --> 02:18.880
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, here's the book that I wrote here.
02:19.280 --> 02:21.504
[SPEAKER_00]: Leadership is influenced.
02:21.524 --> 02:33.703
[SPEAKER_00]: And I took time out to write this book a couple of years ago primarily because I had served in the Air Force for 22 years and leadership was really my focus area.
02:34.284 --> 02:38.170
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, my specialty area was financial management.
02:38.538 --> 02:49.972
[SPEAKER_00]: cost analysis, budget analysis, acquisitions, and then I graduated to legislation, but they all include leadership at one level or another.
02:50.733 --> 03:07.414
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's what I want to talk to you about today, and I want to share my three-pronged approach to become a leader of influence, as you can see written on this book right here.
03:07.782 --> 03:20.179
[SPEAKER_00]: Individual who works for an organization, let's say it is a reading with a title, let's say some president of a company or executive vice president, then we get into the management side.
03:20.820 --> 03:33.857
[SPEAKER_00]: And the management side is that that piece where we have those micro-reprofessionals, who can ultimately become the senior leader of an organization or if it's the military to become a general officer, whatever it may be.
03:34.732 --> 03:42.564
[SPEAKER_00]: And so one of the things I want you to understand is that an employee themselves is a leader.
03:43.545 --> 03:46.089
[SPEAKER_00]: Now they don't see themselves a little, you don't have to tell you why.
03:46.750 --> 03:48.232
[SPEAKER_00]: Because no one is told them.
03:49.434 --> 03:58.047
[SPEAKER_00]: People don't want to see a leader with a title, but I'm telling you, there are some employees that can run circles around a person, I'll either with a title.
03:58.227 --> 03:59.329
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll just put it out there.
03:59.830 --> 04:03.996
[SPEAKER_00]: It happens every day to put it on what industry it is.
04:04.347 --> 04:08.493
[SPEAKER_00]: AI industry, right, that artificial intelligence industry.
04:08.873 --> 04:13.399
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I want you to understand, I'm going to share three main points with you today.
04:13.419 --> 04:31.384
[SPEAKER_00]: Number one is going to be about the kind of influential leader you want to position yourself to have those opportunities to study other leaders, right, in in house where you actually work
04:31.718 --> 04:46.597
[SPEAKER_00]: what I want you to take from that is that as an employee, if you don't get the work done, who does, so employee is a leader as well, and I'll come back to that.
04:47.017 --> 04:51.924
[SPEAKER_00]: And then secondly, become an influential leader, you have to have experience that.
04:52.244 --> 04:56.950
[SPEAKER_00]: So if there's a special project
04:57.402 --> 04:59.306
[SPEAKER_00]: step it up to the plate if you will.
04:59.366 --> 05:03.153
[SPEAKER_00]: The young woman or young man step up to the plate in volunteer.
05:03.573 --> 05:05.277
[SPEAKER_00]: That will give you the best experience.
05:05.317 --> 05:14.213
[SPEAKER_00]: If you don't get it in your organization then you can also work with organizations out in the community as a volunteer.
05:14.851 --> 05:17.054
[SPEAKER_00]: And that would give you leadership experience.
05:17.074 --> 05:21.500
[SPEAKER_00]: And then number three, you really need that leadership development training.
05:22.021 --> 05:25.806
[SPEAKER_00]: So we have this Trinity that's working.
05:25.967 --> 05:28.530
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm going to share each one of them with you.
05:29.131 --> 05:35.160
[SPEAKER_00]: So I use one example in the book about Tom Brady, who I really enjoy.
05:35.240 --> 05:36.381
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I'm a sports fan.
05:36.521 --> 05:38.384
[SPEAKER_00]: I played football when I was in high school.
05:39.085 --> 05:44.773
[SPEAKER_00]: And people say Tom Brady, he's a natural leader.
05:45.260 --> 05:47.643
[SPEAKER_00]: He wasn't born with a helmet on and had cleats on.
05:47.663 --> 05:49.745
[SPEAKER_00]: He just didn't pass any balls.
05:50.266 --> 05:53.390
[SPEAKER_00]: It footballs when he was an infant.
05:54.471 --> 05:55.993
[SPEAKER_00]: He was develop over time.
05:56.013 --> 05:59.757
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what Walter Bennett's one of the four most leadership experts tell us.
06:00.638 --> 06:03.722
[SPEAKER_00]: And so as a result, we all have to be developed.
06:03.742 --> 06:06.305
[SPEAKER_00]: Now one way, I'll just give you an example.
06:06.325 --> 06:08.948
[SPEAKER_00]: When I was working in the Pentagon, I was working down the hall one day.
06:09.168 --> 06:14.895
[SPEAKER_00]: I had just arrived there because I had a break in military service.
06:15.702 --> 06:19.848
[SPEAKER_00]: And then ultimately at Mobile Chemical Company, and I was recall.
06:20.549 --> 06:22.892
[SPEAKER_00]: But the Pentagon didn't tell me why I was recall.
06:22.912 --> 06:26.438
[SPEAKER_00]: I was recall as a captain, which is the rank I was when I left.
06:27.359 --> 06:30.604
[SPEAKER_00]: It's because they had the does a show and does a storm.
06:31.064 --> 06:31.926
[SPEAKER_00]: And so they brought me back.
06:31.986 --> 06:36.392
[SPEAKER_00]: Some walkin' down a hall, glant feet back in the blue, blue, Air Force uniform.
06:36.873 --> 06:38.715
[SPEAKER_00]: And I was blinded by the light.
06:39.116 --> 06:40.478
[SPEAKER_00]: We're actually about a start.
06:40.711 --> 06:45.878
[SPEAKER_00]: And it was General Colin Powell walking down the hallside, you know, I asked him, wave that him and I knew he was busy.
06:46.659 --> 06:50.405
[SPEAKER_00]: And he went, where he was going, I went, where I was going.
06:50.425 --> 06:52.528
[SPEAKER_00]: So you emulate these people.
06:52.548 --> 06:59.077
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like, wow, you know, I'm actually in the same building with this great leader.
07:00.038 --> 07:02.081
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I purchased books about him.
07:02.101 --> 07:09.992
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'll learn from leadership strategies and approaches from him and his philosophy and other leaders as well.
07:10.850 --> 07:17.578
[SPEAKER_00]: And as a result, because you really need to read a lot, and then you may 10 events that they're at.
07:17.978 --> 07:22.123
[SPEAKER_00]: If they're speaking engagement, you want to go there and listen to what they have to say.
07:22.844 --> 07:27.209
[SPEAKER_00]: Today, you can find a lot out of there on social media.
07:28.190 --> 07:40.384
[SPEAKER_00]: And you can learn about people a lot easier than you could in the past, because you think people doing things virtually, especially since COVID-19.
07:40.803 --> 08:04.343
[SPEAKER_00]: So as an employee, as a mentor, a professional manager, supervisor, and as a leader with the title, it's all about having those contacts, those engagements, those appearances, looking at people because no matter what title a person has, there's always someone who has another title, but are they getting the work accomplished?
08:04.523 --> 08:10.168
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the main thing, is their productivity.
08:10.402 --> 08:20.018
[SPEAKER_00]: the key to the leader's vision, mission, and goals, but you are a leader, but no one has told you.
08:20.659 --> 08:24.005
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm telling you, you are a leader.
08:24.025 --> 08:24.786
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't care what it is.
08:25.026 --> 08:27.270
[SPEAKER_00]: Like we used to use the examples in the Air Force.
08:27.831 --> 08:34.502
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, you know, this company is selling widgets.
08:35.056 --> 08:54.718
[SPEAKER_00]: could be check-up board squares or jack rocks or something like that and what you want to do is that you want to be able to see what's being considered as the object for productivity.
08:55.475 --> 09:01.045
[SPEAKER_00]: So you produce X amount, but it's the employee who actually gets to work done.
09:01.065 --> 09:07.376
[SPEAKER_00]: I would imagine that Amazon Or let's let me use example working at UPS when I worked at UPS.
09:07.436 --> 09:15.070
[SPEAKER_00]: I had to load boxes then I graduated from there and I saw it boxes and then as a college student it was no problem
09:15.522 --> 09:31.977
[SPEAKER_00]: And I did it and I loved the work that I did because it was building up to my next transition, which was to be Officer Second Lieutenant Air Force and then I promoted all the way up to Lieutenant Colonel over the 22 years of duty.
09:32.617 --> 09:40.084
[SPEAKER_00]: So number one, you have to become a student of the craft of leadership.
09:40.885 --> 09:43.707
[SPEAKER_00]: And once you do and you start learning,
09:44.075 --> 09:45.718
[SPEAKER_00]: No one ever taught me that before.
09:45.958 --> 09:46.940
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's the point.
09:47.120 --> 09:51.788
[SPEAKER_00]: Most people aren't in top leadership, but that is a main requirement today, they need.
09:52.349 --> 09:54.492
[SPEAKER_00]: So we have that went down Pat.
09:54.512 --> 09:56.035
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's look at number two.
09:56.976 --> 09:59.500
[SPEAKER_00]: Number two is action to lead 18.
10:00.582 --> 10:09.036
[SPEAKER_00]: For example, let's say we are working at mobile-owned company, like I have in the past.
10:09.404 --> 10:17.953
[SPEAKER_00]: And we are looking at how do we get the production level up for the petal chemicals, the benzene entirely, where you go into the gas.
10:17.993 --> 10:24.140
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you have the gas station and you pump a gas and you smell that, that's what you're smelling.
10:25.001 --> 10:37.774
[SPEAKER_00]: It's smelling benzene, it's smelling, and so they have to get the chemical engineers, the production team, you bring me in the financial guy financial analyst, how can we,
10:37.923 --> 10:39.553
[SPEAKER_00]: improve getting more product.
10:40.035 --> 10:43.596
[SPEAKER_00]: So we might run an audit bringing one to the big five.
10:43.998 --> 11:00.843
[SPEAKER_00]: auditors teams and we have to get the volume of the product that's in the take and then we have to get the temperature of it because that impacts how much is actually in there as a part of the audit.
11:00.863 --> 11:04.188
[SPEAKER_00]: And so you want to work on a special project so you want to bring and team members.
11:04.208 --> 11:13.262
[SPEAKER_00]: So you may bring in when I was doing the acquisition work, you may want to bring someone and who's a logistition.
11:13.951 --> 11:29.715
[SPEAKER_00]: mechanical engineer, you want to bring in the human resources, you want to bring in your cost estimators or your financial managers, but you bring in a whole team and you leave that team and the leader with a title knows that you're leading this team.
11:29.999 --> 11:39.829
[SPEAKER_00]: and if you bring your team together and you produce what needs to be produced in order to get a competitive advantage, then you're gaining that experience.
11:40.290 --> 11:44.594
[SPEAKER_00]: But then again, as I stated before, you can also do that as a volunteer.
11:44.694 --> 11:48.678
[SPEAKER_00]: I was a PTA president of my children's school for two years.
11:48.778 --> 11:58.268
[SPEAKER_00]: I was getting maximum leadership experience working not only with the parents, but also with the
11:58.501 --> 12:00.543
[SPEAKER_00]: It was at Joint Base Andrews.
12:00.583 --> 12:05.768
[SPEAKER_00]: I was working with the Base Commander, the person who goes out and greets the president.
12:05.788 --> 12:09.893
[SPEAKER_00]: It chief of staff when their flight is either departing or returning.
12:10.593 --> 12:12.896
[SPEAKER_00]: And so you get these experiences.
12:13.296 --> 12:20.023
[SPEAKER_00]: And that adds up to helping you to become an infant that you'll later, our eight-liter of influence.
12:20.063 --> 12:21.865
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll put the book here once again.
12:23.426 --> 12:25.048
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the third part,
12:25.484 --> 12:31.409
[SPEAKER_00]: is that you want to actually attend leadership development training.
12:31.709 --> 12:36.314
[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason why this is important is because, first of all, it's professional growth.
12:36.934 --> 12:41.978
[SPEAKER_00]: And we all need to grow, but we all also need an influential leader knows this.
12:42.359 --> 12:47.343
[SPEAKER_00]: You need to actually develop other leaders within your organizations.
12:47.683 --> 12:53.989
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if you happen to work in an organization and the leader with the title has his or her door closed all day,
12:54.475 --> 13:01.784
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll just go on record to say that they're not a very good leader and influential leader at that because you have to get out and talk to people.
13:02.384 --> 13:08.151
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to communicate with people for the different direct or divisions within the company.
13:08.632 --> 13:15.039
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you sit behind a leader with a title sitting behind their desk all the time, they're really not going to get what they really need.
13:15.380 --> 13:17.462
[SPEAKER_00]: You get what you need by talking to people.
13:17.898 --> 13:22.084
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, and being a leader, you have to have excellent communication skills.
13:22.965 --> 13:26.770
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to have empathy, you have to have emotional intelligence.
13:27.611 --> 13:30.315
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to really understand people.
13:31.456 --> 13:34.541
[SPEAKER_00]: Because that's what moves the organization.
13:35.041 --> 13:45.255
[SPEAKER_00]: And once you develop other leaders through the leadership development training, ensure that the training is coming from one source, not different leadership trainers, but the same one.
13:45.607 --> 13:49.933
[SPEAKER_00]: And you can focus and you can all head in the same direction.
13:49.953 --> 13:58.204
[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason why this works when you provide these leadership core competencies is because your competitors aren't doing this.
13:59.385 --> 14:07.236
[SPEAKER_00]: And oftentimes, the leader with the title hasn't even intended a leadership development program, which is really just hard to believe.
14:07.977 --> 14:09.919
[SPEAKER_00]: However, it happens every day.
14:09.959 --> 14:14.145
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the managers don't have this feel.
14:14.699 --> 14:27.453
[SPEAKER_00]: and they're trying to act as if they're leading when they really aren't because a leader is not leading if they're not listening to the people that work for them.
14:27.473 --> 14:32.939
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's the Trinity of what this book is all about.
14:33.019 --> 14:34.401
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna put it on this side now.
14:34.901 --> 14:37.144
[SPEAKER_00]: Leadership is influence.
14:37.164 --> 14:40.227
[SPEAKER_00]: And I wrote, this is short read, but it's a powerful read.
14:40.287 --> 14:42.630
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's the back of it, right there.
14:43.252 --> 15:10.120
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, you can get it on Amazon and so the bottom line is that in order to look at today's currency and this dynamic workforce and workplace, it all comes down to how well you are, you know how to have self leadership, know how to lead yourself and position yourself for a leadership role down the line.
15:10.657 --> 15:13.320
[SPEAKER_00]: and it's very important that you do this.
15:13.420 --> 15:16.624
[SPEAKER_00]: And not only professionally, but personally as well.
15:17.665 --> 15:29.919
[SPEAKER_00]: If you look at your life, if you just take five minutes out of your day, get a note pad, a legal sheet of paper, and just look at where is your personal life and is it congruent with your professional life?
15:30.620 --> 15:39.550
[SPEAKER_00]: If one is not strong, then the other is not going to be strong.
15:40.340 --> 15:44.928
[SPEAKER_00]: you're the same person in your professional life that you are in your personal life.
15:45.489 --> 15:49.917
[SPEAKER_00]: And once you have that alignment together, then you can become an influential leader.
15:50.358 --> 16:04.002
[SPEAKER_00]: And one of the things that I talk about, especially my webinars I talk about, being your authentic self, not planned politics, but receiving a view degree of visibility you need from the executives,
16:04.150 --> 16:11.197
[SPEAKER_00]: so that they know who you are and that you ultimately would become the only choice for the next promotion that's coming up.
16:11.778 --> 16:13.680
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I wanted to share with you today.
16:13.820 --> 16:17.384
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, we're in Q1, first quarter of 2026.
16:18.665 --> 16:27.715
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's no better time to position yourself to become the best leader you can be and an influential leader at that than now.
16:28.756 --> 16:33.381
[SPEAKER_00]: So I ask you the question, if not now, when,
16:34.019 --> 16:36.923
[SPEAKER_00]: actually lean and pour yourself into this.
16:37.725 --> 16:47.900
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you have any questions, of course, and want to learn more about what I provide, go to this website, www.PaulVandSpeakS.com.
16:48.561 --> 16:50.925
[SPEAKER_00]: And you'll learn more about me.
16:51.085 --> 16:52.808
[SPEAKER_00]: You'll also learn more about the book.
16:53.509 --> 16:59.318
[SPEAKER_00]: And some of the speaking engagements I've had in addition to the leadership development training I provide.
16:59.787 --> 17:18.144
[SPEAKER_00]: I've been interviewed on probably 150 radio shows throughout the U.S. Canada and around the world and I've hosted over 330 episodes of my podcast, but I had a show before this called the wealthy speaker talk radio show and I had 900 episodes.
17:18.524 --> 17:26.892
[SPEAKER_00]: So I interviewed people from all over the world from every background and industry that you can imagine and to have great
17:27.142 --> 17:29.424
[SPEAKER_00]: Communication skills is a plus.
17:29.744 --> 17:42.116
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a member of the National Speakers Association and I've been on 12 city speaking tours on book tours and I'm in the second chapter of my professional life and career.
17:43.136 --> 17:46.379
[SPEAKER_00]: And as a result, I just want to share what I know with you.
17:46.800 --> 17:54.887
[SPEAKER_00]: I've spoken at Caesar's palace leading a leadership panel there spoken in Paris France twice.
17:55.289 --> 18:06.970
[SPEAKER_00]: In the Ukraine, as well as Kenya, Canada, City University, New York, United States Air Force Massacre International Headquarters and many, many others.
18:07.571 --> 18:17.348
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I've been around in terms of building up my credibility and I know that you
18:17.632 --> 18:24.381
[SPEAKER_00]: could really use my particular skill sets and expertise, especially when it comes to leadership.
18:25.062 --> 18:27.926
[SPEAKER_00]: And leadership is very, very important to me.
18:28.566 --> 18:31.290
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know that it can be very important to you.
18:32.071 --> 18:34.935
[SPEAKER_00]: And I would love to work with you if you'd like to.
18:35.015 --> 18:39.741
[SPEAKER_00]: And you can also get me my email at info.
18:40.177 --> 18:50.749
[SPEAKER_00]: I end up at some old Paul, P-A-U-L-V-N-V-A-N-E-S-P-E-A-K-S.com, or you can get me there.
18:51.250 --> 18:56.076
[SPEAKER_00]: So, that's going to include this particular episode of Wealth Academy podcast.
18:56.096 --> 18:59.460
[SPEAKER_00]: Get out there on Apple Podcasts, write and review this episode.
18:59.840 --> 19:09.171
[SPEAKER_00]: Episode number 331, when I'm talking about influential leadership in the war, the for it, especially for you.
19:09.792 --> 19:20.513
[SPEAKER_00]: And so get out there, share this with your family, friends and colleagues, and I look forward to seeing you on the next episode of Wellf Academy podcast.
19:20.533 --> 19:25.303
[SPEAKER_00]: My time is up and I thank you for yours and have a wonderful wonderful day.
