In 1943 a dude named Abraham Maslow 👨‍🏫 published a model to describe human motivation based on stuff people need. You may have heard about this before as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It looks like this!

It turns out humans need a lot of stuff. We need to connect with our place in the universe 🛐, we need to make impact, we need to grow our minds 🧠, we need to believe in ourselves, we need connection and love 💕. And short of physiological stuff we need to survive like air and water, there's nothing we need more than SAFETY.

IS IT SAFE?

We look for signs of safety in all sorts of ways.

Have/are other people doing it? If so, it might be safe.

Has this person kept their promises before? If so, it might be safe for me to trust them.

Others are running away, I better run away too.

Is this person hiding something? If so, they might be hiding something that's dangerous to me. 😟

SAFETY PATROL

As my kids have gone through 5th and 6th grade they've had a chance to join their school's SAFETY PATROL where they get to wear those cool orange belts. You know, the kind crossing guards sometimes wear.

The next time you want to stand out in a job interview, make a sale, attract customers/clients, get a date, be a great parent, or otherwise be INFLUENTIAL WITH ANYBODY, you can think like a member of the SAFETY PATROL.

Rather focusing on how you can be impressive or really knowledgeable or super skilled or well connected - focus instead on, "how can I make this person feel SUPER SAFE with me?"

By the way, you've got to mean it. If you're just out to manipulate or harm somebody, it won't work.

And while we're on the subject - if you're out there being coercive trying to manipulate people - stop doing THAT. What the hell are you thinking?

On the other hand, if you're coming from a place of service as I know you are, offering others genuine safety - no judgement, no threat - is one of the most powerful ⚡ things you can do. When you make them feel safe, you win.

Stay Safe! Eric