Have you ever wondered how much of an influence you have on others?
We all want to leave a positive impression on those we meet, but sometimes it can be tough to know how others see you.
But the truth is, you don’t need to be a social media influencer to have an impact on the world.
In fact, I’m going to reveal 12 personality traits that show you’re a positive influence on others!
Let’s start with the most important trait:
1) You invest in yourself
This might not be what you were expecting to read, but the truth is if you invest in yourself emotionally, physically, and even spiritually, you’re already a positive influence on others!
Why?
We live in a world that puts more importance on how well you do your job, rather than how well you feel as a person.
So by breaking that mold, by practicing self-care and personal development, you’re showing people around you that those things matter too!
And as they see your progress in life, they may realize that they need to stop neglecting their well-being and take a leaf outta your book.
But that’s not all, your moral compass also has an important role to play:
2) You behave with integrity
Integrity.
If you’re a positive influence on others, there’s a good chance you act with integrity, even if you don’t realize it!
So, what does it mean to behave with integrity?
- You strive to always be honest
- You stick up for those who can’t defend themselves
- You have strong morals and principles
- You aren’t easily swayed away from doing the right thing
Put it this way:
When you do all of the above, you remind people that going with the latest trend or ditching your morals for “likes and views” isn’t what makes for a good society.
So, by staying steadfast in your morals, you inspire others to do the same!
3) You make conscious decisions
Do you think everything through?
Do you weigh the pros and cons and make deliberate choices for your life?
If so, this is another personality trait that you’re a positive influence on others!
You don’t make decisions that could affect yourself and others like a headless chicken – no, you set deliberate goals and have clear outcomes.
You do this because you care about yourself and others. When people see this, it has a knock-on effect.
They begin to see the value in thinking carefully and acting deliberately, and just how much it can change one’s life for the better!
But that leads me to the next point. For others to receive the message you’re sending out into the world…
4) You listen and communicate thoughtfully
Let’s not beat around the bush, if you are a positive influence on others, you MUST have excellent listening and communication skills!
By making people feel seen and heard, you have a much more profound effect on them than you can possibly imagine…
And just by being present in your interactions, you inspire others to do the same.
Put simply, you’re the boss/friend/family member/partner we all want and need!
5) You aren’t afraid to dream big
For as much as you’re down to earth and practical, you’re also a big dreamer!
Growing up, I had big dreams to travel the world. From a young age, I worked alongside studying just so I could go on little adventures abroad.
I remember a cousin once told me, “When you want something, you go for it. You make it seem like nothing is impossible.”
You see, just by dreaming big and following my passions, I had shown her that anyone can do the same if they simply work hard for it.
So, no matter how trivial your dreams might seem to you, if you’re aiming for them, know that you’re positively inspiring others to do the same!
But when it comes to dreaming big, there’s likely another reason you’re able to confidently do this, and that’s because:
6) You’re open to learning new things
Do you find yourself telling people the new things you’ve recently learned?
Do you enjoy bouncing ideas off other people? Discussing new concepts?
If so, there’s a good chance you have a positive influence on others! You keep an open mind and enjoy sharing information.
Why do you do it?
Largely, because it’s interesting and fun. But also, you recognize that these seemingly unimportant nuggets of wisdom or information could greatly help someone out.
And because you keep an open mind…
7) You tend to be optimistic
I say “tend” because I believe that influential people are also quite realistic. But on the whole, you try to take an optimistic view because let’s face it, life is too short not to!
This optimism is contagious…
The people around you likely come to you when they’re down because they know that you’ll always find the silver lining.
You give grounded, solid advice with a practical approach, but at the same time, you’re able to lift their mood and remind them that bad times shall pass and sunnier days are on the way!
This influences others to do the same. Sometimes, we all need a reminder that life isn’t as bad as we perceive, right?
But this isn’t the only reason people turn to you…
8) You believe and support others
Another key personality trait that shows you positively influence others is your unlimited belief and support in their capabilities.
You’re not the type of person to only want success for yourself. You don’t see the point in enjoying life if the people around you are still struggling!
This desire to see others do well means you go out of your way to support people as they chase their dreams.
You believe in them when the rest of the world mocks them.
You are the person who pushes them to get back up and try again, and again, and again until they make it!
The truth is…
This comes from a place of self-confidence. You don’t feel threatened by the success of others. Instead, nothing makes you happier!
9) You take responsibility for yourself
Next up on our list is the importance of taking responsibility for yourself.
When you do that, you’re able to own up to your mistakes. You can put your hands up and say, “Sorry, I got that wrong.”
Instead of being ego-driven and living in denial, you do the hard work to be accountable.
And when you do this, you give others the green light to do the same.
In essence, you take away the stigma that owning your flaws is a weakness. Instead, you show the world that it makes you stronger as a person and forms better connections with others!
This goes back to what I mentioned earlier about having integrity and practicing self-development.
By doing these things, you inspire others to do the same!
10) You persevere when the tough gets going
Do you refuse to give up, even when life hurls its best hurdles at you?
If you’re a determined spirit who perseveres through tough times, you can bet you’re a positive influence on others!
That’s because you likely never give up on those you care about.
A difficult patch in your marriage? You work through it.
A colleague causing issues? You try to get to the root of the issue rather than slate them to your boss.
Whatever the situation, whether it be personal or involving others, is seen as something to “get through” rather than to “give up on”.
This is incredibly inspiring and others will quickly see how effective your attitude toward adversity is.
If you can be a positive influence on just one other person, you’re doing a great job!
11) You embrace criticism
If you’re able to embrace criticism and see it as constructive feedback, there’s a great possibility you’re influencing others to do the same.
Think about it this way…
Normally, when you criticize or offer feedback to someone, you may be met with resistance and defensiveness.
This can be disheartening and can even lead to fallouts.
But what happens when someone opens their arms to criticism and sees it as an opportunity for growth?
Well, exactly that…growth happens!
Progress is made.
By adopting this mentality and welcoming feedback from others (within reason, I’m not talking about criticizing just for the sake of it) you show others that it’s far better to have an open mind than to react out of fear or defensiveness.
And this takes me to my final point:
12) You lead by example
To sum up, all the points I’ve listed in this article lead to one thing:
You lead by example.
You aren’t out here hounding people to have better morals or to take responsibility for themselves. You don’t force anyone to be something they’re not.
Instead, you get on with your own life, living with integrity and using your actions as an example for others to learn from.
This is one of the most important personality traits that show you’re a positive influence on others and thank goodness for people like you!