The Power of Influence

Several years ago, I participated in a development program at work called Leadership, Influence, and Presence. As is often the case with training, I didn’t instantly become proficient in the skills we covered in the program, but it planted a seed for me that has germinated and grown over time. In my professional and leadership journey, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of influence when it comes to introducing your ideas, particularly those that could lead to significant change against the status quo or involve key decisions.

Some people dislike the politics that often seem to come with being in a more senior role or operating in certain environments. However, if you approach influence as building a relationship with someone, it doesn’t have to feel icky or like a power play.

What is influence?

Influence at its core is getting others to do what you ask, ideally not because they have to, but because they want to. It’s important to distinguish influence from manipulation, which involves forcing or coercion and often only benefits the manipulator without taking other parties’ best interests into account. Influence toward positive outcomes should not be unfair, controlling, deceptive, or otherwise harmful. It requires being authentic, sincere, and open to other perspectives.

Why is influence important?

Effective leaders create and communicate a vision that other people will get behind and follow. I’ve had lots of ideas that I think are great, including some that are innovative. However, unless I can bring them to fruition, they are just ideas. And for bigger ideas in particular, it usually requires effort that goes beyond what I can do alone based on my capacity or capability. So to succeed as a leader in a collaborative and cross-functional environment, you need to develop your influencing skills. 

How do I influence others?

Influence requires a combination of knowledge, authority, and relationships. You need to know what matters to the people or groups you are talking to: what they want, what they hope to avoid, and what is not important to them tells you about their values and priorities. With this knowledge, consider what benefits your idea has for them. It has to be something that they actually care about, so part of your job is painting a clear picture of how it will help them in some way or advance their agenda. 

You need to know your stuff to establish your authority and credibility. Think for a moment about social media influencers. They are able to gain followers and sway their audience because they have some knowledge, expertise, experience, or insight. Build your credibility when you make a commitment by consistently delivering what you say you will.

Finally, people are more likely to trust you when you have invested in fostering a relationship with them. Listen to what they have to say, ask questions to better understand what they have to say, and be willing to incorporate different perspectives in order to make your ideas even better.

Before you try to influence someone else, make sure you have a clear goal that you want to make happen and that you can articulate to others clearly. Start with the what - what is the problem you need to address, what is the desired state and proposed approach to get there, what decision or actions do you need from others? Perhaps even more important is the why - why do you need to solve this problem, why is this the right solution not just from your point of view but for your audience.

While you’re at it, consider adding a dash of inspiration to the mix. Inspire the feelings and emotions that prompt people to take action through your positive outlook, excitement, vision, and appreciation for others. Remember that influence is a process that happens over time. As with any developing skill, it helps to take a playful approach and try different tactics to see what feels the most authentic and yields the best results in each situation.

Related

• Simon Sinek - Start with Why - How Great Leaders Inspire Action Ted Talk