How To Lead By Influence
Leadership is a skill that requires the ability to empower and inspire others. Knowing how to lead by influence is essential for a successful leader. It takes a special kind of individual who can motivate others to achieve great things with their influence.
With more organizations going “flat” and senior-level roles that do not have direct reports, this soft skill is becoming even more important. When I changed my job recently from DuPont to Ginkgo, I went from having a team of 20 to a team of zero. Let’s just say there is not much I can get done without leading by influence.
So, how do you lead by influence?
Leading by influence is a powerful way to inspire and motivate people. The first step is to develop trust. Through building trust, you can create an environment where people feel empowered to take action. Building trust takes time. It requires a high “say/do” ratio. In short, the more you do what you say you are going to do, the more others will trust you. So make reasonable commitments, meet those commitments, and communicate that to others.
Another important way to build trust is to be a good listener. For example, if you meet someone for the first time in a group meeting, it’s hard to understand where they are coming from and what motivates them. Investing in getting to know your colleagues wherever they are in the organization is important. Aim to understand what they like about their work, and what constitutes a “win” for them and lend your support.
When you lead by influence, you can create a culture of respect and collaboration that can lead to successful outcomes for everyone involved. By establishing yourself as a positive role model and mentor, you can ensure your efforts to lead are met with enthusiasm from those around you.
The good news is that you can really boost your leadership and resulting impact by developing influencing skills and habits.
The Power of Influence
The power of influence is an incredible thing. It has the potential to bring people together, to inspire great change, and to create lasting legacies. This is because you are winning hearts and minds, not just minds. Through my experience with leadership coaching, I have learned that people will be up to four times more productive and impactful when their heart – not just their mind – is invested in the outcome.
We often forget the immense impact our words and actions have on those around us. But it is a power that should never be underestimated. A former business president I worked with shared a story with me that he walked down the hall with his head down and because of this body language, people started thinking that the business was in trouble.
Whether we realize it or not, each of us is influencing others in our daily lives. Leading by influence is being aware of this and directing it for positive outcomes.
Here is a framework to practice leading through influence.
What needs influencing?
Whether you have direct reports or not, you will need to influence decisions that affect you but are not directly in your control. So it’s important to understand what decisions impact your work, who is making those decisions and what exactly you need to focus your time on in terms of influencing those decisions.
For example, you may require input from another team or individual that you don’t manage in order for you to do your job correctly. Inventory all the inputs to your work and this will guide you as to what you need to focus on.
Who do you need to influence?
When you lead by influence, you’re leading people. But who are those people? It may surprise you that the people most important to your success may not be in leadership positions. They could be marketers, researchers, recruiters or people in other roles that reside in various places in the organization. Make an effort to know who these individuals are.
Reach out and take the time to really understand their roles, work environment, the pressures they operate under and how you can aid in their success. Imagine the difference when you really need something from one of these individuals if you are an unknown person making a request versus someone who is familiar and has made the effort to get to know them.
An HR colleague of mine used to bring donuts to the security guards every time she came into town. When she needed support to register a customer last minute, they were more than happy to help.
How can you influence them?
In my HR colleague’s example, she used donuts as a token of appreciation for the security guards. And I too have not been above using coffee, snacks, etc. to help build relationships. My husband once got a first-class upgrade on a flight just by bringing cappuccinos with a smile to some stressed-out airline counter workers.
The easiest way to influence others is simply to invest your time in them. Set up one-on-one meetings and learn about their work life and things outside work they are interested in. Usually, you can find some common ground. For example, you may both be cat or dog lovers, come from the same town, or enjoy some of the same hobbies.
Find ways to connect that feel natural and authentic. Then, when the time comes that you need their support, they will be much more motivated to put you on the top of their to-do list.
In Conclusion
Leading by influence can at times sound like you are trying to be manipulative. But really it’s more about investing time in others and inspiring them to work with you towards a common goal.
Influential leadership is an essential skill to master in today’s business world. It requires understanding what inputs and decisions affect your work and success. Who is making those decisions or providing those inputs and taking the time to get to know those people by taking the time, listening, and supporting them in their success?
Leaders who are able to use influence to inspire their teams will be successful in motivating their team members and achieving goals. At its core, leading by influence is about building relationships and understanding how people think. Ultimately helping bring out their best performance by winning hearts and minds.
