It seemed like popularity determined everything when we were still in school. My high school was very much like the movie Mean Girls. My high school was the epitome of dysfunctional and cliche-y. We had our “Mean Girls” table, a table for the art geeks, another for the band members, another for the jocks, another for the geeks, etc.
All of our klout was based on how we acted and who we hung around with. To tell you the truth, it was miserable. Then a great thing happened. You enter the workforce (usually after college) and you realize the pathetic standards of popularity go out the window.
Insert huge of sigh of relief.
Your boss, co-workers and clients could care less if you were the popular cheerleader in high school. They probably don’t care if you are popular now. All they are interested in is that you get your work done as well as a little thing called INFLUENCE.
Influence is a big deal. It’s what separates the most successful people from the rest of the pack.
Being popular just means that you have lots of “friends.” Being influential means that you can get your friends to do some sort of call to action. This is huge. It means that you have the charisma, talent and communication abilities to convince those around you to do a certain task. That, my friend, is the sign of an exceptional manager.
The influence principles applies both on and offline. Spend that time creating and nurturing meaningful relationships as opposed to amassing a ridiculously large friend base. That’s the secret to building influence and trust.
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Great post Jessica. I agree, popularity does not matter when it comes to a real world job. I actually do not think it means anything past high school really, because I have not really noticed nearly as many cliques in college that were present in high school. You are so right with this statement: “The influence principles applies both on and offline.” I could not agree more!
Thanks, Ashley. One of the reasons I loved college and now working in a real job is that many of the popularity cliches go out the window. In high school, I got teased a few times for being smart and geeky. Now, being a geek is considered admirable and respectable.
You’re welcome Jessica! I agree, I was a “band nerd” in high school so people poked fun at that. I ignored it though because I have a huge passion for music. It is just nice to be in a setting where you are surrounded by people that love doing what you love. Very nice change from all of the cliques in high school!
Agreed! It’s amazing how much better it is when you can surround yourself with other people who are just as passionate about something as you are.