Selling ideas

Many of us know someone whose main claim to fame is saying, “I thought of that first.”

They did not build it.

If they did, it failed to gain traction.

They did not test it.

If they did, the idea eventually lost momentum and did not achieve the desired outcome.

They did not pitch it.

If they did, it was presented to the wrong audience.

Some people do not lack ideas.

They lack execution and influence.

As Greg Satell writes for Fast Company: “To sell your ideas, you need to master three types of power.”

Turning an idea into a successful venture requires more than just thinking, building, or pitching.

We often believe that good ideas will naturally succeed.

If an idea is smart, useful, and well-intentioned, it seems certain people will adopt it.

However, history shows otherwise and reminds us:

“Nice idea. Now who’s backing you?”

Nikola Tesla had brilliant ideas about electricity, but it was Edison and Westinghouse who shaped how power reached the world.

Xerox PARC invented the personal computer, but Apple brought it to market.

William Coley pioneered cancer immunotherapy, but James Allison made it mainstream.

The pattern is clear.

Great ideas don’t sell themselves.

People sell them.

Talent and insight matter, but influence turns insight into impact.

If you wait for your ideas to be “discovered,” you may grow old waiting for a miracle to RSVP.

Greg Satell, writing for Fast Company, reminds us that ideas do not succeed on merit alone.

They succeed when people understand how to leverage power.

Power is not limited to titles, authority, or position.

It involves understanding decision-making, influence, and system dynamics.

He identifies three forms of power every idea champion should master:

Hard power.

Soft power.

And network power.

True impact comes from intentionally combining all three.

This is an example of hard power.

Netflix did not win the streaming market with a good idea alone.

Their concept was early, but their execution was strategic.

Real power resided with studios, content owners, device makers and network providers.

Simply telling customers “streaming is better” would have been ineffective.

Instead, Netflix negotiated licensing with studios and partnered with TV brands, consoles and mobile platforms to ensure Netflix was pre-installed.

They invested in infrastructure and content rights.

Innovation scales when you align with the institutions that control access.

Otherwise, your idea remains a demonstration rather than a success.

When I first worked with a network marketing organization, the tactics were energetic but lacked credibility.

You probably know the type:

All hype and “Ra! Ra!”

But no substance in their presentation.

They would begin conferences and training sessions with the usual tiring and nauseating “good morning!” – even when it was already evening – and then justify their greeting with a flimsy explanation:

“Here in our company, it is always good morning!”

Their business had growth potential, but the culture limited progress.

This is where soft power comes in.

Change did not result from enforcing rules, but from modeling higher standards.

Through consistent training in professionalism, values, and leadership, the efforts improved how they communicated and presented themselves.

Professionalism became appealing rather than obligatory.

People changed because they wanted to be part of a more credible organization.

This demonstrates soft power in action.

Hard power enforces behavior, while soft power reshapes identity.

Network power is the force of connection and amplification.

For example, Netflix’s respected status comes from its position at the center of networks that others rely on.

Your network is not a vanity metric.

It is an impact multiplier.

Being connected is not about accumulating contacts but about serving as a bridge to help ideas reach new places.

Networks give your ideas momentum and, at times, significant reach.

The world does not operate as a meritocracy of ideas.

People encounter ideas amid competing agendas, concerns, and priorities.

Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer defines power as the ability to achieve your objectives in contested situations.

Most ideas fail not because they lack merit, but because resistance is real.

Hard power reduces resistance by changing incentives.

Soft power does so by making adoption appealing.

Network power lowers resistance by making adoption feel normal and supported.

But each form of power has its own limitations.

Hard power without soft power breeds resentment.

Soft power without networks stalls progress.

Networks without authority lack influence.

Combined, they can turn ideas into movements.

Real influence is a thoughtful blend of force, persuasion, and connection.

Do not only consider whether your idea is good enough.

Ask whether you are building the influence needed to advance it.

Good ideas deserve a future.

Wisely used power is how you provide one.

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Join Francis Kong for another run of his one-day Level Up Leadership: Agile. Able. Adaptive. seminar-workshop. Join us on Aug. 26 for a practical and inspiring learning experience designed for leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals who want to lead with greater clarity, confidence, courage and competence in a disrupted world. Seats are limited. For inquiries and registration, contact April at +63 928 559 1798 or Sylene at +63 976 638 8974.Visit www.levelupleadership.ph)