The Power of Influence

Influence comes in many forms. Last night, it took on the form of a six year old boy who could hit like Mark McGwire.

I coach my son's coach pitch baseball team and last night was our first practice, with the last half focusing on batting. The first two kids did a great job at bat, hitting about a third of the balls I threw to them. Then came the youngest kid on the team, a six year old slugger.

The first pitch I threw, he hit solidly over our heads. He continued to hit every ball that I threw near the plate. After a few good hits by the six year old, my son yells from the infield, "Can I use that bat too?" The bat suddenly had magical powers and every kid after had to use that same black and orange bat. Without even meaning to, the six year old had influenced the rest of the team's choice of which bat to use. We all know it had nothing to do with the bat. I am well aware that the kid's dad has spent plenty of time pitching to the kid before our practice last night.

Because of the kid's performance at bat, he gained instant credibility with the team. This credibility was validated and acknowledged by my son asking if he could use the bat too.

Influence is a powerful thing.

Photo Credit: kalderette on Flickr