The Power of Influence - How to Drive Change as a Strategic Leader

We all know that in today’s fast-moving, complex work environments that the ability to influence others is a game-changer, especially when you are not the one at the top in charge. If you are leading or supporting any type of changes in your organization, you’ve likely already felt the challenge of getting people on board with what you need them to do without any kind of formal authority. This is where influence comes into play. 

Influence isn’t about manipulation or playing politics, it’s actually quite the opposite. It’s about building trust, understanding the needs of those around you, and aligning people towards a shared goal.  Today I want to talk about a few proven strategies that I promise, when you know how to use them will help you build influence and be seen as more of a strategic leader than a task manager. These key strategies can be learned by anyone in any role, and are essential for building influence. I’m talking about empathy, coalition building and persuasion.

Empathy as a key-driver for influence. 

When it comes to having influence, nothing connects you quicker and has more impact than the ability to be empathetic. Think of it this way, people are much more likely to listen to you, trust you and follow your lead if they feel like you understand them. This is where many emerging and even seasoned leaders stumble simply because they overlook the personal and more humans side of change. 

Empathy means stepping into someone else’s shoes, the shoes of your colleagues, your stakeholders and your team. What are they really worried about or how do your actions or requests affect them? By showing that you understand their concerns and motivations, you are not only building trust with them but you will also foster a sense of collaboration that makes influencing any type of change or outcome easier. 

Tip #1: Next time you are meeting with someone, whether it’s a new stakeholder you haven’t met, colleague or a team member, listen more than you speak. Ask open-ended questions that allow them to share their thoughts and their feelings. Show them that you are taking their perspective seriously, and look for ways to address their concerns in how you respond and plan your tasks and goals. 

Building coalitions can greatly improve your influence. 

Have you ever noticed that asking for something or making a change is way easier when you have others that back you up? This is why coalition building is essential for establishing more influence and making changes. Building a coalition means that you have a group of people from different functions, roles departments and even levels that can help provide influence to support what you are trying to do. This coalition then becomes your go-to allies who can help spread your ideas, your messages, influence others you can’t directly reach and they help you to smooth resistance that you might face. 

Tip #2: You don’t need to wait for permission to start building your own coalition. Start by making a list of all of the people you can think of who are aligned with your ideas or the changes you want to make. Then begin cultivating those relationships with them by sharing more details of your ideas, collaborating on small wins and showing how the changes could positively benefit their work, teams or the organization.  Don’t just focus on the loudest voices in the room either, consider those people you know that might have influence behind the scenes or in cross-functional areas. Sometimes these quiet champions can be your strongest advocates. 

Persuasion techniques can get stakeholders aligned around a common goal

When I say the word persuasion I’m not talking about “selling to” or manipulating people. Persuasion can be about helping others see the value of what your trying to do or the changes you want to make by helping them to understand how it aligns with their own interests. 

The key to effective persuasion lies in making the benefits crystal clear to others about what you want to do or change. Different people will care about different things and by figuring out what they care about you can make your position appeal to them. Some people are motivated by efficiency, others by innovation and others by stability for example. Your job is to tailor your message to meet these varied needs, and make sure that each person you talk to or approach sees and understands the benefits to them if they ultimately support your efforts.

Tip #3: When trying to persuade others, the use of storytelling is powerful. Instead of bombarding people with facts and details, instead tell a compelling story about how what you are trying to do will positively impact the organization and it’s people. By using stories, you are ensuring that people will remember what you tell them because stories invoke emotions that facts and figures on their own don’t. 

And, here’s the good news. You don’t need a leadership title, or direct authority to start building your influence right now.  Focus on one of the above areas this week; empathy, coalition building or persuasion and work on improving it over the next 30 days. You can start with small steps like identifying a meaningful conversation that you want to have, identifying potential allies or framing your next idea into a compelling story. Building influence takes time but the results are 100% worth it. 

Are you ready to step up your influence? I would love to know which areas you’re focusing on first. Drop me a comment or reach out directly.