An Influence Blueprint: The 4Cs Framework

Leadership and influence go hand in hand. However, that is not always apparent. It is likely why one of the most consistent questions I hear from leaders is, “how can I become a better influencer of others?” There are many nuances to how people are influenced and influence others. There are common traits that can help ensure that you are effective in influencing of those you serve and others around you.

To establish a straightforward framework for enhancing influencing skills, consider these four key competencies I refer to as the 4 Cs of Influence. By integrating these competencies, a cohesive connection (adding another 'C') is formed, paving the way for effective influence. These 4 Cs work in harmony to establish a seamless interaction with others, fostering an environment and relationships that allow for authentic influence and positive change.

Competency

It may go without saying that being competent in what you are doing is a critical aspect of building and maintaining the ability to influence others. People want to follow leaders that can perform to the expectations of others. Competency doesn’t mean knowing everything there is to know about a subject. Competency is more about knowing how to get the information necessary to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. Confidence also plays a significant role in how others view your competency. People not only want to feel like you know what you are doing, but that you will use your skills to lead them in the right direction.

Character

Character is who you are to others. How do they see you? What is your personification to them and others around you? This is how other people describe you to their friends, peers, co-workers, and family.

The aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.

Those features that are your makeup will have an impact on your ability to influence others. When people see and feel that you are trustworthy, positive, service oriented, or of high integrity, your ability to lead people and influence their decisions will be far greater than someone that must overcome those character concerns.

Charisma

In a word, charisma is about connectedness. This is interesting as when you look up the definition in the dictionary, where words like magical, magnetic (fits with connected), loyalty, or charm are used to help define charisma. But in reality, I would use terms and phrases such as understands others, can empathize, or speaks in realistic terms as someone who is a charismatic leader, especially in retail. There is a likability factor that can magnify any leader’s ability to influence others. Charisma is largely the manifestation of the ability to be liked by those you serve. The smart, confident, highly moral leader without an ability to connect to the team can only get so far. Someone that everyone likes and feels connected to will take a team much further.

Consistency

Predictability. Few people like to live any part of their lives without having some idea of what will be coming next. The work environment is especially sensitive to this. Your team will want to have a good feeling about what path will be followed based on the history they have with you. If every situation they face has a different reaction from you, they will begin to hold back. They will wait for your reaction before they attempt to move forward for fear of failure, wasted work, or punishment. Sameness matters. Change can be hard, scary, and unpredictable for people. The consistency you bring in how you represent yourself, how you approach problems, how you recognize success will all contribute to your ability to influence others. Others want to know what to expect from you in almost any situation.

Our behavior as a leader will define what that looks like to your team. Consistency in direction, follow up, feedback, and coaching will play a major role in the actions your team takes and the influence you have on those outcomes.

There are countless factors in the science behind influencing others. These four can serve as a simple framework from which you can build your influencing position from. They provide insight into how the most effective leaders position and model themselves with their teams and those around them. These work best when combined and connected together. When you have a leader that can competently address the situations faced, do so with high integrity and consistency, while staying connected and liked by the team — they will be an influential, effective retail leader.

How do you see each of these traits helping to influence you when working with other leaders? What actions can you take to highlight these for yourself?

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Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash