Sam Cawthorn - People Follow People

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SAM CAWTHORN

First published in 2021 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

42 McDougall St, Milton Qld 4064

Office also in Melbourne

© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2021

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

ISBN: 978-0-730-38855-5

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.

Cover design by Wiley

DisclaimerThe material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

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The Positive Teen

The Bounce Theory

To my wife Kate, who has been my foundation and my rock.

To my three children, who help me each day to be a better father.

To our Global Teams, who are championing messages of thousands of Speakers all around the world.

Since 2006, Sam Cawthorn has been sharing his personal story around the world. He has reached over 100 million people at live events, through his books and resources, and via social media.

Sam is a thought leader on peak performance and turnarounds, and a highly acclaimed professional speaking coach. He is the founder and CEO of Speakers Institute, an organisation dedicated to creating influencers with a powerful voice in the marketplace. Today, Speakers Institute is a global company that boasts a team of more than 60 people and oversees more than 400 volunteers each year.

Early in his career Sam had carved out a niche as a youth futurist working for the Australian government. In October 2006, Sam's life changed forever when he was involved in a major car accident. Initially pronounced dead, he was eventually resuscitated, but his right arm had to be amputated and he was left with a permanent disability in his right leg.

During his recovery Sam chose not to return to his old job. Instead, he learned how to share his own story of ‘bouncing forward’ from his near-fatal injuries.

Sam has written seven previous books. Bounce Forward (2013) became an international bestseller. He has trained more than 5000 speakers around the world and has spoken in over 40 countries on some of the world's biggest stages.

I would like to acknowledge my writer, Bernadette Foley, who has been brilliant in extracting all of my wild, crazy ideas and distilling these into easily catchable messages.

I would also like to acknowledge my wife Kate, my three children and my Global Team who have been there every step of the way, helping our clients make a difference.

How do you decide who to follow, who you will buy from, whose opinion you will respect, who you will learn from?

Do you base your decision on the number of likes or followers a person has on social media, or on how well known their brand is, or if they are famous and in the public spotlight? Or do you first seek to find out what that leader, influencer or teacher stands for — how they have chosen to contribute to the lives of the people around them, what they believe is important and what their values are? If this is the way you decide who you will follow, then it's probably also the way you want to lead and influence others. You want to become an influencer who stands for something, who will be there for people over the long term.

Do you want to change lives for the better, including your own, and to make a lasting difference? If so, you have the potential to be a leader and influencer others will choose to follow.

I believe this is the way many of us are now consciously deciding who we want to follow and whose influence we will accept. In recent years, and perhaps still today for some people, the idea of ‘influencers’ had negative connotations, bringing to mind social media celebrities doing makeup tutorials followed by millions on YouTube, the Kardashians on a reality TV show, Paris Hilton arriving at the latest party in a startlingly short dress, toned-up bodybuilders uploading photos of themselves, social media personalities aggressively promoting questionable advice. These really aren't the people who'll give the world a valuable and lasting legacy, are they?

The most important sources of influence, in my view, are increasingly individuals who are actually making a positive difference in the world — who encourage and empower others, whose opinions are progressive and inclusive, who stand up for diversity, who have the courage to call out inauthenticity and dishonesty, perhaps even challenging government or corporate unscrupulousness. Successful leaders and influencers, now and going forward, are those who are committed not only to making the world a better place, but to building strong character to lead others well.

In a decade that has started with the greatest upheaval in our lifetime, we want more from our influencers and decision-makers. Influence in the 2020s will be based on consciousness, progressive thinking, empathy, humanitarianism and strong character. We need leaders who will make a positive difference. And as leaders and influencers, this is what we should demand of ourselves. Whether in our own workplace or community, or in the wider marketplace, we want to invoke the power to successfully influence others and build trust in those in our sphere.

We want influencers and leaders who stand up for something beyond themselves, and we want to stand up for what we believe in.

Have you ever felt that for too long we've been following organisations, governments, logos, brands and companies unquestioningly, that we've come to feel that these big names and organisations have too often let us down, that we can't always trust them and that they have no depth of character? People want to follow people, but they are looking for leaders who can clearly express what they believe in and show this through their actions. I see a shift building momentum, and the new era is all about what I call the profile economy.