How to build an audience of superfans

Steve Jobs once famously said, and I agree to an extent, that, “the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Jobs continued that, “if you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” The part of Job’s quote that resonates with me the most is that I believe passion is what switches an individual from dormant and passive to activated. Critics of Job’s statement, get hung up on whether an individual can become great at something he or she does not necessarily love. To this argument, I have left mental space that if someone becomes great or is great at something, there is something they can love or do love about that task, be it direct or indirect. Instead of getting lost in the noise of the arguments surrounding the quote and the individual biases towards the man himself, I took the message to mean that when we show up, an entirely new world is made available to us.

Take my friend Richard Boyle, for example. Richard was my roommate back at University. He was trying to get a summer job one summer, the usual way. He filled out 20 or 30 applications to different stores, but nobody would give him a job. It felt like he was just sending them into a huge black hole. He knew he would be the best employee any company ever had, if they would just give him a chance.

Then one day he decided to take matters into his own hands and prove what a good worker he was. He went down to the mall and walked into his favourite clothing store. This was his dream job — a company he would love to work for, but they had never given him a chance. He walked in and saw that some of the piles of clothes were unfolded and messy. So, he went up to the manager and asked, “Hey, do you mind if I fold some clothes?” The manager replied, “Why would you want to do that?” My friend said, “Just because it looks like you need some help, so I thought I’d help you out.” The manager looked at him funny and said, “All right, if you really want to.” So, Richard spent a couple of hours folding clothes and sweeping up, just generally helping. When he was done, he said, “Thanks so much,” and he left. Everyone at the store was kind of confused, but they were grateful for the helping hand. The next day, Richard came back to the store and started folding clothes again. He spent another two or three hours helping these guys out. Then when he was done at the end of the day, he thanked everybody and started walking out. The manager stopped him and asked, “Do you want a job?” My friend smiled and said, “Sure, I’d love one.” And they hired him on the spot.

Now I am not suggesting that Richard inspired a nation like the late great Martin Luther King Jr. did with his ‘I have a dream…’ speech, but he did inspire me and reminded me that when we show up, an entirely new world of opportunities is made available to us. These opportunities allow us to attract an audience that will rally behind us to work toward a shared goal.

Here are the three characteristics of those that can influence audiences of people the same way Richard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did:

They are charismatic and/or attractive

I have observed that whether they are leading in information technology, gardening, sewing, battery and tyres, accounting, or textiles etc., part of what makes influential people is charisma. Some people call it the ‘it’ factor. You know it. You have seen and felt it. You cannot really put your finger on it can you? But you know that there is something different about him/her, yes?

I believe some people have this naturally, and others develop it over time. If you follow my writing, you know that I am brutally honest, and yes, everyone is a child of God and beautiful or attractive in some way or the other. However, it can be argued that some magnetic types do not possess the most jaw dropping features that are associated with society’s definition of pretty or handsome. These types in whatever form they appear, can be characterised by words like visionary, creative, confident, and determined, just to name a few.

Most of us can think of a few leaders who we have worked with or met in some way. Do you remember the way they made you feel?

1. Write down a list of five of the persons you have met that came to mind when I shared the qualities above.

2. On the side of the five names, write three characteristics you admire about each individual. Secure your sheet of paper.

The idea here and through the exercises and reading in this article is to help you understand the characteristics that successful and influential leaders have. We will develop you to become a better leader by first understanding the mindset and subsequent behaviours of an effective leader.

Our ability to connect with people on a deep level is valuable, specifically during crisis and the unprecedented changes we are all experiencing in the workplace and globally.

They focus on a future based cause/mission

I met, who became my millionaire mentor, while serving in the hospitality industry in The Bahamas. You can learn more about my story at www.eliotkelly.co.uk He would always speak about the future. In fact, when we first officially acknowledged that the path we would follow together, would be a mentor/mentee relationship, he decided to plan our sessions together for the following three years. I was shocked to say the least, as up until that point, I never knew what I would be having for lunch on any given day. Successful people realise that understanding time is one of their competitive advantages. They take that knowledge one step further than the unsuccessful by planning farther into the future. I have learned that when I apply this practice, it frees up my time and my student’s time to focus on the mission.

Interestingly, the same setbacks, disappointments and unforeseen events, that happen to unsuccessful people, also happen to successful people. However, in many cases, pre-planning provides a window of recovery and opportunity for responding rather than reacting to crisis.

Barack Obama, former president of the United States, is a great example of a leader who focused on a future based cause or mission. Where the majority saw obstacles, he saw opportunities and possibilities. He worked hard to create a culture of integrity and transparency amongst his administration, which led to loyalty. His campaign’s rallying cry of — ‘Yes We Can’ — convinced millions of Americans that there was hope in their future if they united, voted and trusted his leadership.

Focus on a future based cause inspires trust. When we inspire trust, not only will we attract the right physical resources, but also, we will attract the human resources required to fulfil a shared vision.

3. Have a glance at your paper again and review the words you wrote on the side of your selected five acquaintances. Could these words describe former President Barack Obama also?

4. Write the words integrity, focus, and mission on separate lines.

5. On the side of integrity and focus, grade yourself on a scale from 1–10 (1 being low and 10 being high)

6. Beside the word mission, fill in the blanks. I am a leader and as the leader of _____________ our mission is _______________.

Having a clear and focused vision will help ensure you are moving in the right direction. Equally as important, it will ensure that the resources you attract and you the leader, are continually working towards the same goal.

They offer you a new opportunity

I do not believe that one size fits all. I also do not believe in throwing around absolutes recklessly. Instead, I propose that the common characteristics of effective leaders can be studied and duplicated for increasing the odds of success for ourselves and others.

Leaders that build an audience of superfans, typically present their followers with a new opportunity. For Richard, my former classmate from University, he presented the store manager and the team, an additional pair of hands around the store to fold clothes and perform odds jobs. For Steve Jobs, it was an opportunity to carry our entire music libraries — all our CDs and digital music — everywhere we go. He pulled the first iPod out of his pocket, showed everyone the new opportunity he created, and transformed the music industry forever. He did it again when he made an announcement for the iPhone, and again when he changed how computers would work forever with the iPad.

Martin Luther King Jr. built his new opportunity, offered and presented it through one of the world’s most recognisable speeches in history. A civil rights activist, he marched on Washington for jobs and an end to racism in the United States.

Eric Hoffer, author of the book The True Believer, wrote that, “Fear of the future causes us to lean against and cling to the present, while faith in the future renders us receptive to change.” Leaders present a new opportunity, a chance for their followers to be a part of something new and exciting. Leaders assure their followers with what Hoffer describes as, “an extravagant conception of the prospects and potentialities of the future.”

Mastering the three characteristics of the effective leader, involves developing charisma and being ‘attractive.’ To attract attractive people, we must first become attractive. Leaders inspire and lead their audiences by focusing on a cause or mission. Leaders present new opportunities conceptually and highlight potential future rewards.

7. Have a glance at your paper. Re-read the instructions and your responses to questions 1–6. Create a plan of the personal improvements you are going to make to become closer aligned to the role models and positive examples you listed. Congratulate yourself for the areas where you have excelled and for following through this far. Commit to your plan by writing down what actions you think are necessary to improve. Ask your closest friend or relative to assess you based on your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Incorporate their feedback into your personal improvement plan and request they serve as an accountability partner.

If you have read and completed the exercises provided, congratulations! I have learned that we cannot pour from an empty cup. Study, practice and teach what you have learned and watched you and your audience grow.

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