Both are important, we need both. Success is seductive. It comes in form of big tag , designation and big status. It fuel social prestige. Very few can maintain it. Or, very few can deliver consistently in same situation, environment, or company. Success may be impulsive. One interview, one product, one website, one book or one song, may make you overnight star. Many people fail in sustenance. Success brings huge expectations and if you fail to deliver , people look for alternatives.
In corporate, you can survive by loyalty , once you gain a tag. It may be mean of holding designation by managing 1-2 top links. You can draw power from top and idea from bottom. This method is good for survival. In VUCA world where change is only constant. We need more than that. Once that top retires, you feel powerless or sideline. And, man goes out of skills and influence.
“The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority.” KH Blanchard
On other hand, Influence is more sustainable. Global economy is seeing high entropy environment. Corporate needs more change agents or influencer than only big tags. Influencing is not easy in some sense. Here you have to influence unknown who have no loyalty to you. They should respect your idea of being. They expect consistent original idea flow. Followers are outside your comfort zone. They just follow same ethics or values or cause.
Influencers have limited power. They gain power from people /followers/Cause. They have to burn self to be consistent in cause. People question every move on ethical ground. They drive ethics, values and change. They dont have a tag. They are first line to face resistance to change. Appreciate their efforts, in this world of fixation, resistance, and power centers we have very few idea points. Smaller influence will be more important than a bigger power point.
“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” - Henry Adams
Not only corporate, on social media, we come across many influencer like @hcmariwala or @hvgoenka or like it. Even small influence should be appreciated.
Here I am talking about positive influence. We are already in haze of media or politics. Motivation is missing so that depression and isolation is increasing in society. Good teachers , aggressive change agents , ethical gurus , or life guide.that is what society needs.