Written by: Simon Haigh, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
What is influencing? Well, it’s altering the behavior of others through your personality. Unlike persuasion, which requires communication, influence works without any communication, others are motivated by what you want. An influencing leader has a vision of an optimum outcome for a situation and then, without using coercion, motivates people to work together towards it.
So, influence is key to successful leadership. A leader only exists if he or she has followers. Don’t forget leaders only crystallize results through the actual work of others by inspiring and guiding others to a commonly understood and agreed goal.
So, are there different types of influencing styles? The answer is yes there are seven:
First up there is reasoning, which comprises the logical presentation of ideas.
Then there’s friendliness, which is the creation of goodwill.
Next up, is a coalition, which is getting the support of others to back up what you want or need.
Then there’s bargaining, which is essentially negotiating;
Then follows assertiveness, this is a. being direct about what you need, want, feel or believe, and b. in a way that’s respectful of the views of others. It’s a communication skill that can reduce conflict, build self-confidence and improve relationships.
Then there’s a higher authority, which is getting the support of individuals higher up the organization’s hierarchy; and finally.
Sanctions are the use of rewards and punishments.
Developing your influencing muscle requires consistent hard work, focus, and attention. One thing you can have the newly onboarded employee do is a little exercise to work on honing their “influencing muscle”. You can have the newly onboarded employee think in advance of a week or after it, of two or three situations that they might find/have found challenging and which need/needed some mindful influencing exercise and then write down each situation. Then next to each situation, have them write down which influencing style they actually used for that situation, then whether that influencing style was the appropriate one to be used. Finally, what might be/have been the most appropriate style to be/have been used?
In getting a sense of how the newly onboarded employee views the importance of influence in their employment journey you can start by asking:
Is influencing just for the senior leaders in the business?
How do others influence you?
Proficient leaders in organizations, which demonstrate good corporate culture based upon meaningful relationships:
Build a genuinely unified team through collaboration (combined skill base and knowledge) and cooperation-aligned attitudes.
Create a genuinely enjoyable environment.
Foster a philosophy of “Do your best”, accepting that certain mistakes happen.
Develop an enduring culture not just one for a certain occasion.
Produce an exemplary dynamic and competitive workforce.
Define and live the cultural values to filter them through and propel the company forward.
Ensure the employees are sufficiently compelled by the vision that they “believe” in, and enforce them; and.
Equip their company with all the programs, processes, structures, and systems required to uphold and continuously improve the culture.
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Simon Haigh, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Simon Haigh, known as The Growth Strategist, helps organizations and leaders unlock, build and sustain business, leadership, brand, and mindset growth through his coaching, consulting, training, publications, speaking, and e-learning programs. Simon’s clients include high-performing leaders, companies, business schools, professional organizations & Government bodies globally. His work is endorsed by world no. 1 leadership thinker Marshall Goldsmith. He is nominated by PeopleHum Top 200 Influential Thought Leaders 2021, Thinkers 360 4 Sales, 9 Entrepreneurship, 10 Legal & IP, 13 Health & Wellness, 33 Mental Health, 37 Management & 47 Emerging Tech, and featured in the PeopleHum Top 100 Thought Leader series for Mindful Negotiation. He has also been featured on numerous global TV and radio outlets, and two of his three Amazon 5 Star books – How to be a Better Dealcloser and Dealmaking for Corporate Growth, are endorsed by Marshall Goldsmith, and he is an associate member of the Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching Organisation. Simon is also an acclaimed Keynote Speaker.
