SALISBURY — “Influencing Others” was the topic of the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Power in Partnership Breakfast, which was held Dec. 19 at Trinity Oaks, with a presentation by Dr. Clemson Turregano.

Serving as co-sponsors for this event were Rowan Helping Ministries and Meals on Wheels. Kyna Grubb, executive director for Rowan Helping Ministries and Cindy Fink, executive director for Meals on Wheels, each shared about their organization, with Fink introducing the speaker.

She said that Turregano is the founder and CEO of Global Leadership Services, an international firm specializing in executive education and leadership development services.

A graduate of the Citadel and a retired military officer, she said that Dr. Turregano’s leadership journey began with commanding troops on overseas deployments and continued in academic roles as a professor at prestigious institutions like West Point and the Naval War College.

He also serves as the founding senior fellow at Furman University’s Center for Innovative Leadership where he conducts research and designs impactful leadership programs. 

Interactive with the audience, Turregano walked around the room addressing the group and had them participate in an activity to demonstrate and practice influencing others. He asked them to pair up as apples and oranges with the apples given the task of describing something they had on them that was important to them and why. The oranges were instructed to be active listeners, which he said is the start of influencing.

Turregano next instructed the oranges to actually get that item from them, which some were able to accomplish. He went around the room and asked the apples why they gave it up, which became lessons in influence.

One said her orange partner was stealthy and took it while another shared how the person was a dear friend and trust was what brought about the exchange. A third described a connection with the person they were talking with, which is why they passed their item along to them.

His presentation continued as Turregano told how “power is basically the capacity or potential to exert influence,” and that there are two types of power – personal and positional. Personal, he said, is based on skills and personality traits, while positional is based on authority or formal status.

Turregano touched on additional topics dealing with influence including the three tactics of head, heart and hands. He said that the head is all about the ‘what’ dealing with facts and rational persuasion. Secondly, he said there is the heart, which centers on why something is important with stirring inspirational appeals. The third tactic is the hands or the how and getting to help and doing things together.

Following the presentation, he gave time for questions, and in addition to his answers, he asked other leaders in the room to share their thoughts, providing additional insight for those needing assistance.