There are leaders who manage people through a chain of command (employee has to obey) and then there are leaders who inspire people (employee chooses to follow).
The chain of command may get you short-term results, but will fail in the long run. To be a long-term successful leader, you need your people to choose to follow you. Inspirational leaders have more productive, energized and engaged employees which has a positive effect on the team and the organization.
Influence is an essential skill a leader can use in all aspects of life (personal or professional) for positive and sustainable results. Influence is really a lot like sales. For all of you who thought you would never be a salesperson, guess again. You aren’t selling a service or a product though; you are selling your ideas, opinions and insights.
Don’t worry though, I am not talking about high-pressure sales. This is more about storytelling technique to get to the “why” that will motivate them to follow. Here are seven keys that will help you in developing your inspirational influence skills.
- Understand resistance to change
- Is the problem/situation you are trying to solve clear to the other party-including the result of inaction?
- Have you set clear expectations on what you want and the specific benefits of doing it your way?
- Have you discussed the possible downsides of what you are proposing and what can be done to overcome them?
- How much risk taking are you expecting from others and can you minimize or alleviate it?
- Adapt to their social styles
- Driver – Direct, results-orientated
- Become frustrated with long-windedness or poorly constructed arguments
- Best influenced through direct, brief, results-orientated discussions
- Expressive – Outgoing, creative, social
- Place high value on social contact and status
- Best influenced by including them in decision-making while dealing with feelings and showing respect for their own ideas and past actions
- Amiable – Dependable, easygoing, sensitive
- Place a high value on harmony and avoiding personal risk
- Best influenced by showing patience, asking for their feelings and showing plan on how to manage impacts on people
- Analytical – Systematic, accurate, structured, logical
- Become frustrated with ideas that are not thought through properly
- Best influenced by providing hard evidence, do not overstate the benefits and invite their critique
- Develop your personal power: Personal power is built through Character and Competence creating credibility.
- Focus on:
- Relationships – Build trust
- Expertise – Do your homework, learn about all parts of organization, build business acumen
- Listen more than you speak
- Use active listening skills – Never assume
- Speak to what you hear – Adapt your message to what you hear and discover
- Connect Emotionally
- Be authentic
- Use effective body language
- Share stories – stories are what people remember
- Avoid generalizations – ie. employees are unhappy
- Focus on benefits over features – bottom Line
- Why is it important??
- What is in it for me??
- Deliver benefits meaningful to the audience
- Make the link to the organizational strategies
- Be persistent, but not overbearing
- You have to hold firm while being empathetic
If you work on these seven keys, you will grow your inspirational influence with your team, other departments and your organization. This is not a one-and-done process, but an ongoing approach to building your influence.
Brandon Brazeel, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
VP, Chief People Officer
