Maximizing Your Influence as a Leader: 7 Steps to Avoid Underestimating Your Impact

Influence is a powerful tool that can have a tremendous impact on individuals and organizations. Whether you are a leader in a store, district, or region, or as a member of a community, your actions, words, and attitudes can shape the experiences and outcomes of those around you. Despite its importance, influence is often underestimated, and its potential is not fully realized. In this article, we will explore the steps you can take to avoid underestimating your influence and to use it to drive positive change in your personal and professional life. From recognizing your impact to embracing vulnerability and strengthening relationships, I’ll share some ways you can ensure you avoid underestimating the influence and impact you can make on those around you.

As a leader, it's important to be aware of your own influence and to use it effectively. Your team will look up to you and look to you for guidance and behavior. Think of when you first started in your retail career, or just your first job. That Store Manager or Supervisor was important to you in some way. You knew they would be a person that could help you succeed, or make you want to look for something different. Here are some steps you can take to avoid underestimating your influence:

Recognize your impact

Take time to reflect on the ways in which your actions, words, and attitudes impact others. Consider the messages you communicate, both intentional and unintentional. As leaders, we are always in a glass house and others are watching. They will take your actions as cues for how they should act as well.

Lead by example

Building on the above, your behavior sets the tone for those around you, so lead by example and model the behavior you expect from others. We may try to guide to, “do as I say, not as I do”, but that does not work when leading others long-term. Those around you will do both based on the example you set.

Communicate clearly

Be clear and concise in your communication, and ensure that your message is being received and understood as you intended. Everything begins with setting clear expectations.

Be intentional

Be intentional in your use of influence, rather than letting it happen passively. Consider the outcomes you want to achieve and the ways in which you can use your influence to reach those goals. With clear expectations set, define clear actions that match the outcomes you seek.

Build relationships

Relationships are the foundation of influence, so invest time and energy in building and maintaining strong, positive relationships with others. Strong bonds with others allow you to expand your influence even when you are not present. Engagement and relationships become a multiplier effect on your influence and impact on your business and those around you.

Seek Feedback

Influence has to be a two-way street. You need to know what others think about what you are sharing, how you are acting, or the direction you are leading them. Be open to the dialogue and information. The trust loop you can build by seeking, listening to, and acting on feedback only stands to strengthen your leadership. Conversely, if you believe you are infallible, it will begin to degrade, and eventually eliminate your ability to positively influence others.

Influencing others remains a topic I get asked a lot about, and from that, I recognize that many still may not realize how much influence they already have. We are not our titles, but with our titles, and in any leadership role we accept, we have the ability to influence those around us. We get to choose how positive and impactful that influence will be. In your leadership role, the example you set, the communication you provide, and the relationships you build will determine the level of influence you can provide. And, never doubt the impact you can make with that platform.

Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your influence as a leader? What steps are you taking to avoid underestimating your impact?

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Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash