I recently caught up with a former leadership colleague who’s stepping into a role overseeing a division in their organization. As I thought through what best sets them up for success, one theme kept surfacing: Influence
The conversation echoed through many of my coaching conversations with leaders since, where I found myself sharing the same insight:
The strongest leaders both have influence, and are willing to be influenced.
Influence Is Earned, Not Assigned
Influence isn’t granted with a title. You can’t promote someone into it. It’s earned through consistently driving action, clarity, meaningful change, and delivering results at the business, personnel, and cultural levels (yes, it’s not just tied to $$$). When you can successfully initiate action, educate, and create momentum upward, across, and within a team, the credibility that fuels influence follows.
However, having influence is only half of the equation.
A Willingness to Be Influenced
Building on the earned foundation, this is where exceptional leaders separate themselves. It requires actively seeking perspectives that challenge your thinking and considering insights beyond your own lens. It means being open to changing your mind.
Oh, and no, this doesn’t mean leading by committee. It means when tougher calls inevitably surface, people trust your judgment. They’ve seen you listen. They’ve watched you adapt. So when you don’t, they know it matters. Influence is tested in difficult moments.
Strong leaders pause and reflect honestly, even when the answers aren’t immediately comfortable.
If you’re currently in a leadership role (or working toward one), here’s what I want you to sit with:
- When was the last time someone changed your mind?
If you can’t remember, you’re not being influenced and your influence is quietly eroding. - Does your team bring you problems and challenge your ideas, or do they stay quiet and wait for direction?
This is a strong indicator if you’re relying on authority alone. - Who in your organization would fight to keep you if you left?
That’s your real influence scorecard, not your title or team size.
Whether you’re struggling with a leader who lacks influence, or you’re willing to do the hard work of looking in the mirror and seeing this as a growth area for yourself, let’s talk. We’ll partner with you to overcome what’s getting in the way of unlocking influence that doesn’t just create more effective leaders, but transforms the outcomes your organization is capable of achieving.
Leave a Reply