QUIZ: UNCOVER YOUR INFLUENTIAL TRAITS

Article by Gretchen Harnick
Photo Credit: Rose Jane
Magazine: Issue #22

Have you ever had the most brief encounter with a perfect stranger, maybe you noticed something they did or said, and it stuck with you for the rest of the day?

We often fail to recognize the potential for impact we have on others as we go about our day. When we can shed light on our unique areas of influence, it provides the awareness we need to keep developing those skills and shine them for others to see.

Take this short quiz to uncover some of your influential traits:

1| My family and friends:

A. Text photos of outfits and jewelry and ask me, “What should I wear on this date or to a wedding?”

B. Call me frantically from their kitchen asking “How do you cook that delicious eggplant parmesan again?”

C. Ask me for advice on how to have a difficult conversation with their partner.

D. Call me for a good laugh, and ask me to share a story from something ridiculous that undoubtedly happened that morning.

2| At work, I select or am given projects where I:

A. Create detailed, organized spreadsheets, managing a large amount of information.

B. Start new projects and develop things from scratch.

C. Gain notoriety and recognition from the industry and superiors.

3| My neighbor, the guy who parks my car, the owner of the dry cleaners or my child’s teacher sometimes tell me that:

A. I am different from other people. I actually listen.

B. My child is lovingly concerned that his classmates do their work on time, he must have learned that attention-to-deadlines skill from me.

C. I am so brave. I speak with such conviction and strength and they envy me for this skill.

Pull out a couple of influential words from each answer you’ve circled and jot them down in your journal or on a few post-it notes. These are values and influential traits you have within you. These are some of the ways in which you influence and impact people around you.

So how will you use your power as an influencer the next time you’re in line at the coffee shop, about to take on a big project, or asked to mentor a new person who’s arrived in your life?

Keep doing you. Keep being that awesome listener. Keep being an organized fashion expert. Keep reaching for the recognition and risky projects. And remember to shine that brilliant light of yours for others. We all need influencers like you!

I’m curious, in which areas do you have influence and what are you going to do about it?

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