Building Influence
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer
You have heard me say many times leadership is influence. If you want to be a better leader, increase your influence. It sounds simple, and it really is. You just need to work on it. Recently I found six key practices that can help you build influence.
- Be Consistent – Consistency in character and demeanor builds trust and predictability for your team. With so much in life changing, and the world so uncertain, having a leader who is consistent in how they live and interact with you becomes a welcome harbor offering a protected calm from the storms of life.
- Employ Honest Communications – We are bombarded by forces that twist what is said to fit a particular narrative. If you want to build influence, speak with simple honesty. Take the time to craft your communications, reinforcing what you are saying with enough detail to confirm what you have said.
- Live with Transparency – People want to follow real people, not fictional characters. So many people think that if they admit a weakness or struggle, it reduces their ability to lead. The best leaders live with and value transparency by seeking feedback and acknowledging where they are struggling. The best leaders also realize that their teams already see the issues they are struggling with, so owning those struggles builds more trust.
- Exemplify Humility – Our teams know if we are driven by ego and jealousy. Remember that humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking more of others. Leadership is never about the leader; it’s always about others.
- Show Support for Others – When we value others, we naturally look for a way to support them and help them grow. They see our support and want to help us grow our organization. They buy into the leader before they buy into the mission.
- Keep Your Promises – This should be automatic for anyone leading on a foundation of character. If you say you are going to do something, do it. If something happens and you can’t, you need to explain why you couldn’t.
There you have it, six key practices that will take your influence to the next level. It’s not rocket science at all, but with thoughtful intentionality, anyone can do it. If you would like to hear more about these six key practices and how you can implement them, please join Marisa Norcross and me for Episode 211 of The Next Page podcast as we discuss them in greater detail.
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