Great leaders don’t just exert authority—they influence.
Our society has a long-standing obsession with influence. Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People was first published in 1936. Today, we’ve built up an entire culture of “influencers” on social media. In both the personal and professional spheres, we remain captivated by the art of influence.
In the business world, the concept of influence gains importance precisely because of how influence diverges from authority. Authority is built in—and necessary—in corporations. A corporation is not a democracy. A hierarchy of command is necessary, or chaos ensues.
However, authority has a powerful counterpoint in influence. A leader who embraces authority might say, “I have the authority to do this, so I’m going to see it done.” A leader who embraces influence might say, “I have the opportunity to persuade other folks to come on board and do this better.” Authority has a direct, linear impact; influence, on the other hand, can have a broader ripple effect.
The promise of more effectively enabling influence gains even greater significance in today’s complex and interconnected world, where the average member of the workforce is increasingly aware. Modern workers have access to more information than ever before. All they have to do is go online to learn about environmental issues, social issues, economic issues—whatever they want. Today people are far more knowledgeable about the world around them.
The result? An emerging workforce with a totally different set of values—one that’s seeking purpose through their work. They don’t want to just punch the clock, day in and day out. They want to contribute. They want to make a difference. They want to matter.
If you, as a leader, can harness that desire and make it possible for those individuals to exert their influence, you’ve tapped into a powerful resource. However, for that to happen, you’ve got to walk the fine line of authority versus influence.
Understanding the Power of Authority versus Influence
Say 10 people are stranded on a desert island. The leader knows that the group must cross to the other side of the island to get rescued—which means passing through a thick jungle. There’s only one machete. The leader takes it and sets off, hacking their way through the jungle to get to the other side. Following in the leader’s footsteps, one by one, are the other nine people from the beach.
The leader sees a wall of green ahead of them. As they hack away at it, obstacles are revealed. One swipe of the machete reveals a ravine; the leader zigs left to avoid it. The next hack of the machete reveals a big rock; the leader zags right to get around it. It’s difficult work.
Now, the person at the back of the line of 10 people doesn’t see the wall of green that the leader sees. tThat person at the back has had the path in front trodden down by nine other people. To him, it seems easy—so, he’s wondering, What is going on? Why are we zigging and zagging? Why can’t we just go straight!
This is frequently the case in organizations. With each person, from the leader to the back of the line, there is a decreasing appreciation for the challenge of the task of getting across the island. The CEO can see the big-picture challenges the organization faces; the person in the mailroom can’t. They’re too far removed to see the leader breaking trail with the machete. Still, they follow the line of people in front because the leader has the accountability to get them across the island, and the authority to do so –— “the machete.”.
Authority is therefore clearly necessary in an organization. However, influence is also important—and it can be even more powerful. Influence is a way to build conviction instead of forcing compliance. It’s the difference between “I can tell you what to do and you are going to do it because you must comply with what I say” and “I would rather you do this because you are convinced that it’s the right thing to do.”
With influence, you can create that conviction and get the other person to understand why your approach is the right one—so that they willingly go down that path you’ve created for them. You might even be able to get that person at the end of the line to stop complaining and criticizing.
In some instances, leaders have no choice but to influence. Consider the role of a vice president within a global organization. That vice president has authority. However, they also have many peers—other vice presidents all over the globe. That one VP has no authority over those other VPs. If they want to get something done with those peers, they must influence them. This is how they’ll be able to most effectively work together.
Influence is a formidable tool, whether you’re a CEO trying to influence the board (you can’t wield your machete there) or a team leader trying to influence subordinates. Equally powerful is front line staff being willing and able to influence their leaders about things they see that could improve some aspect of company performance.
How can organizations harness the power of that kind of influence? They must equip their leaders to value influence and teach them how to facilitate an environment where influencing can flourish sat all levels.
The Five Mindsets and Behaviors that Impact Our Ability to Influence Others
Influencing Without Authority opens new possibilities. Regardless of their level, leaders must be open to influence, both allowing others to influence them and learning to influence others. The skill to do this lies in five distinct mindsets, each of which has three behaviors that facilitate the ability to influence.
First, you must have the courage of your convictions. If you’re going to be influential, you must speak up when you have a conviction—for example, about an aspect of your job or the organization. A conviction is an opinion informed by emotion and, because of that emotional element, can be extremely powerful in swaying others. However, you can’t just babble on; you have to show that you know what you’re talking about. Toward that end, make sure you:
- Know your subject: Be familiar with all aspects of your subject. Prepare in advance, and codify the relevant observations and experiences, including supporting facts and figures, for easy reference. Take a comprehensive approach by further considering alternative perspectives.
- Remain objective: Considering alternative perspectives becomes easier when you remain objective. Objectivity doesn’t mean being devoid of passion. It’s simply a matter of being open to other points of view and possibly incorporating them in your reasoning.
- Present clearly: Advanced preparation can only get you so far if you don’t prepare your presentation. Focus on the central pillar of your message and build around that.
You must further be willing to speak truth to leadership. Now, be mindful that you may not have access to the whole truth; there is a difference between what you see (your truth) and the whole truth. Great leaders seek solid, accurate, and correct information. When facts are clear and well understood, they can be effective influencers of decisions and opinions. However, there are two common inhibitors to speaking truth—fear of the leader and self-censoring. Address the hurdles head on as you:
- Acknowledge different perspectives: Know your perspective and acknowledge the possible existence of other perspectives. Ask yourself what you do and don’t know.
- Be respectful: Be considerate, thoughtful, and empathetic in your truth-telling. Being respectful does not mean compromising your personal values. At the same time, there is no place for righteous superiority in truth telling.
- Explain consequences: Address consequences as you see them, both negative and positive, using “If… Then…” statements. Also consider the potentially unknown consequences (If… Then possibly…).
The third mindset needed to influence others is personal integrity. Trust is the fruit of integrity, and extremely important when a person is deciding on how much to be influenced by another. Nobody wants to be influenced by someone they don’t trust. Integrity might seem like a murky concept but there are ways to demonstrate it, including:
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- Show consistency: Consistency must be demonstrated—for instance, via a track record of repeated success. In the professional context, for instance, that might mean delivering projects on budget, on time, and as promised.
- Demonstrate accountability: Accountability centers on the “I.” Consider phrases that reflect accountability: “I own it,” “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me,” “If I commit to it, then you can take it to the bank.” The onus is on you, the speaker, to act as promised.
- Model strength of character: Seek to emulate the traits that others respect. Be honest, thoughtful, dependable, compassionate, and reliable. Exhibit behavior that is consistent with the company’s values.
The fourth mindset leaders must embody to successfully influence is a commitment to growing their own competence. The more knowledgeable and practical you are, the greater the insights you will bring to a given situation—and the more influential you will be. However, there is also a practical component to the equation. You must pay attention to all three points:
- Be knowledgeable: Knowledge refers to what you know. Again: you can’t just babble on; you’ve got to demonstrate competence, and part of that comes with growing competence. The world evolves, and professionals must evolve with it.
- Be skilled: Skill takes knowing a step further—it refers to what you do. Knowledge plus skill equals competence.
- Be practical: Knowledge and skill must be applied in a practical way in order to be useful and relevant. A superior intellect doesn’t do much good if it can’t lead to implementable, practical action.
Finally, leaders must be aspirational. This means that an individual doesn’t need to be told what to do; they do it from their own desire for excellence, motivated by their inner self. An influential person, backed by the confidence of their convictions and integrity, wants to do their best and contribute as much as possible. This means you must:
- Strive for excellence: Excellence needs to be defined in two ways. First, there is the definition of excellence as the company sees it. Just as important, there is the definition of excellence as you see it.
- Embrace challenges: Challenges come with choices. When a hurdle arrives, there is the option to quit—or doggedly persevere, and to learn and grow. True strength of character is demonstrated by how we act in the face of possible failure.
- Respect your potential: Don’t consider only what you’re doing but also what you could do. What other possibilities are there? An opportunity to influence gets you to the starting line. The aspiration to do so moves you towards the finish line.
“The Influencer” is Not an Abstract Concept
All five of these mindsets and the behaviors they encompass are interconnected. Influencing Without Authority requires attention to all five pillars. With this blueprint in hand, the idea of “the influencer” isn’t as abstract as it may seem at first glance. If you adhere to those five mindsets and practice the three behaviors relating to each of those five mindsets, you’ll be influential. You can make a difference.
An entire organization of people who are influential can make an even bigger difference. This is because much of what is currently hidden in the organization is likely to come to the surface as influential leaders are better able to absorb, process, and deal with information received, and individual initiative is encouraged. Influence doesn’t just empower individuals; it also empowers organizations.
If authority is a resource—a machete—influence is an asset. Over the course of human history, assets—from the wheel to the printing press—have proved just as valuable as resources. One might even argue that assets are more valuable; while resources often lead to repetition, assets lead to advancement. Organizations would do well to learn this lesson. Some leaders may cling to authority, because it’s faster than to nurture influence. However, the best leaders recognize that building influence is worth the time and effort required.