“Be a Songwriting Influencer”
By John Terry
Internet “influencers” say “Look at me and do what I do!” True influencers ask “What can I do to help you?” “The Go-Giver” is a business management book, written by Bob Burg & John David Mann, which presents “5 Laws of Stratospheric Success” for business, but many of the principles presented are applicable to songwriting as well as to participation and leadership in an organization. For this article, we will consider one of those 5 Laws, “The Law of Influence”, which states: “Your Influence is Determined by How Abundantly You Place Other People’s Interests First”
In the book, the character, Sam found success as an insurance salesman by “changing my focus from seeing what I could get to what I could give”. He became intentional about putting other people’s interests first and built a network of people who knew, liked, and trusted him. As he put the Law of Influence into practice, he found that not only was he helping others, but his interests were taken care of as well!
Sam describes this kind of network as an “army of personal walking ambassadors”—people who trust you and are personally invested in seeing you succeed. Whether they are co-writers, bandmates, publishers, or fellow members of FWSA, we want teammates to trust one another with that same confidence. Influence grows when people experience us as dependable, generous, and committed to helping others succeed.
So how do we apply the Law of Influence songwriters? We apply it through small, consistent choices that place other people’s interests first. At the company where I work, our CEO recently expressed it in the following steps:
1. Build trust through everyday follow-through. Influence is built through repeated experiences where people
find us dependable, prepared, responsive, and genuinely interested in their success.
2. Help without keeping score. The Law of Influence is not a 50-50 transaction. We practice it when we step in to help a teammate meet a deadline, cover for someone dealing with a family matter, answer a question patiently, or share what we know without expecting immediate credit or payback. That kind of generosity strengthens the culture we all depend on.
3. Put influence before position. Money, title, authority, and accomplishments may create visibility, but they do not automatically create lasting influence. Lasting influence grows when people experience us as someone who helps them succeed. We do not have to wait for a certain role or title to practice this law; every member of FWSA can build influence by serving others well.
4. Look for ways to add value. Adding value means looking beyond the minimum requirement and asking what would truly help the other person. Sometimes that means bringing clarity to a client, helping another office solve a staffing challenge, improving a process, mentoring a fellow songwriter, or offering thoughtful feedback. Each act of added value builds trust. 5. Ask, “What can I give?” Sam’s turning point came when he shifted his focus from what he could “get” to what he could “give.” That same question can guide us as songwriters. We can give time, encouragement, guidance, expertise, patience, accountability, and leadership.
************************************************