What is Influence?
Leadership is influence. Influence is leadership. This is a conundrum that we all face when thinking about what influence is and what it means. Do you need to have influence to be a leader? Or, do you need to be a leader in order to influence others? Yes.The first myth to dispel though is that you are not already a leader. Anyone can be a leader. I will reference my favorite quote that is often attributed to John Adams:
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
The second belief that should be adjusted is that only those with a leadership title can influence others. Today more than ever it is clear that people can be and are influenced by numerous people and sources regardless of their credentials, sometimes in a detrimental way.With those thoughts in mind, let’s take a deeper look at what influence really is.
Influence is the power to have an important effect on someone or something.
I tend to dislike the idea of looking at influence simply as ‘power’, I might change this quote to be more like:
Influence is the ability or earned privilege to have an important effect on someone or something.
Leaders or people of influence create or inspire greater passion in other people for something you believe in. The ability to influence comes from being able to connect with others that already have some level of interest in what you are speaking about. Even if someone disagrees with your stance on the subject, the commonality of the topic creates the ability to influence in that area. Leaders find that common element and share a vision for what excellence can look like.Influence is about helping others further their thoughts or actions that lead to changes based on the information and insights you provide. I recently came across an excellent article, What is Influence, Really? – No Carrot, No Stick, No Annoyance, No Trickthat further expands on this concept. Real influence does not come from a carrot and stick approach - others have to feel good about the decisions they are making based on the influence you provide.
the ability to cause a change in thought OR behavior through non-coercive and transparent means where the influencees voluntarily want the changes even without monetary compensation.”
Authentic Influence
Moving people from uneducated to knowledgeable, from uninterested to engaged, or moving people from stationery to active on a given subject are the products of authentic influence.I have written about the importance of being an authentic leader in the past; it is a critical element in influencing others. People can sense your motives for wanting to encourage them in certain directions. If you have established a level of trust with others, your ability to influence is dramatically improved. As soon as they feel pressured, coaxed, or even forced into a position, you have moved past authentic influence.Authentic Influence is providing the information to allow others to support your beliefs on their terms. By understanding their perspectives, their goals, and desired outcomes you can provide knowledge for them to come to the conclusion that is right from their situation.Influence is many things, but above all else, it is a skill that can be learned, honed, and effectively employed to help make a difference in anything you choose to accomplish. The best leaders continue to develop their ability to influence others through the relationships they build as well as the knowledge they gain through ongoing learning. Influence can be found in everything we write about, speak about, or engage in and only increases with the passion we bring to any of those things we do.What does influence mean to you? Share your thoughts in the comments section.