In 2020, I won the IAIP International Confidence While Communicating speech contest. If you would have told me even five years before that I would even be interested in public speaking, I would have laughed. That key point in my career was a result of several influential tools I learned since I got my first job in insurance. A knowledge toolkit is essential for building something great, and I want to share a few tools you can use to build your influence.
Mentor
A mentor is the first true influencer. A mentor can point you in the right direction for your next step in creating influence. Sometimes the most powerful lessons are the ones you learn through trial and error, but a good mentor who is willing to share their expertise and wisdom can fast track you and help you avoid painful or awkward experiences. This is something I discuss in my book, Hindsight 2020.
Mentor/mentee discussions should be confidential. Sometimes, lessons involve others who may not want their names shared. Mentors should be able to teach without using names if the situation could be embarrassing, and mentees should be conscientious to keep details of lessons confidential. A good mentor will share the lesson, not the person.
The end result of a good mentor/mentee relationship is a mentee who gains enough expertise to become a mentor themselves. A mentor could be a manager, a teammate, a coworker in another department, or another member of an association you belong to (such as IAIP).
Designations and Continuing Education
If you’re newer to the industry, I highly recommend investigating the many designation options. Our industry is in constant change, so education is like the screwdriver in your toolkit – you are always going to need it.
Having those letters after your name demonstrates to your peers and your customers that you care about staying current with changes and learning new ways to help your customers, both of which support your influence.
I hold ten industry designations with different focuses including property & casualty, construction insurance, service, and leadership. The designation that has influenced me the most is the CLP-A – Certified Leadership Professional – Advanced from IAIP. This one is non-insurance specific, so it is appropriate for all business people who want to build their influence. Through the CLP and CLP-A courses, I learned critical thinking skills, effective negotiation, and coaching conversations, all of which have helped me feel confident in communicating with others at all organization levels as well as be an effective mentor.
No matter how long you have been in the industry, there is always something new to learn. The more you learn, the more you can influence others. Check out IAIP, The Risk & Insurance Education Alliance, or The Institutes to determine which is appropriate for your own influencer toolkit.
Read, Listen, Learn
This can literally be the instruction manual for your toolkit! You might think you don’t have time to read industry publications, but by at least skimming the table of contents, you may find articles of interest that will help you improve your market and industry knowledge. The more you know what is going on in the industry, the better a resource you can be to your agents, customers, and teammates. When I was a field underwriter, I intentionally searched for articles that I thought my agents or their customers might find helpful and shared them on a regular basis.
As a field underwriter, I often had a lot of windshield time. To distract myself from traffic or boredom, I would listen to podcasts while driving. I found podcasts focused on the insurance industry, property and casualty, life and health, Insurtech, sales, reinsurance, leaders in insurance, claims, risk management, and more.
For topics more non-industry-specific, there are books, publications, podcasts and Ted Talks on leadership, sales, human resource management, connecting with teammates, managing conflict, public speaking, and anything else you can think of. I’ve written a couple of public-speaking classes for IAIP, and listening to how others speak has helped me refine those classes, keeping me influential in my association.
Connect
Connections with others are the “nuts and bolts” of your influencer toolkit. When you connect with others, you can learn and teach.
LinkedIn is a natural first option for your professional connections, however, don’t be afraid to use other social media channels. Wherever your customers are, that’s where you should be. Sharing your own thoughts or reposting others gets your name out there in the algorithm. People start seeing you more, and visibility leads to influence.
Build Your Toolkit
Knowledge is the foundation of influence. Whether you find it through a trusted mentor, a hard-earned designation, an industry podcast on your morning commute, or a LinkedIn connection who challenges the way you think – every source adds a layer to who you are becoming as a professional. The most influential people I’ve met in this industry are the ones who never stopped being students. Start somewhere. Start today. And stay tuned — next up, we’re talking about Strategic Thinking.