2019: The year of influence
In traditional organisations of the past, senior roles denoted authority. Those in positions of authority could command respect. Now that our organisational structures are flatter and less hierarchical, respect is to be earned. Leaders aim to motivate and inspire towards common goals, rather than to coerce or command through positional power. Or at least they should aim to do that! Motivating and inspiring comes through skilled influencing. Influence is a type of power that enables a person to achieve outcomes without the coercive element. It is so important that the Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL) lists it as one of four critical leadership competencies for anyone in the organisation. Given it is so important, it makes sense for everyone to be looking at how to build influence, and there is no better time to focus on influence than at the start of a new year. So how do we get better at influencing?
There are 3 key ways to build influence, according to the CCL. The first uses “Head”. Facts and figures are gathered to support a logical argument and build a business case. This approach relies on logic and making sense, and then presenting that ‘sense’. The second is “Heart”. In this approach, one appeals to the human desire to belong. The heart approach inspires and motivates, tapping into a person’s values and beliefs. The third is “Hands”. This approach draws on collaboration – that is - rolling sleeves up, offering assistance and partnering to achieve a common goal. Different situations and individuals will require different tactics. The trick is to find the approach that most suits the audience you are working with and the outcomes you seek. A combination of all three might have the biggest impact. So even if you lean towards one way of influencing, say “Head”, it is useful to extend your repertoire so as to influence those who may respond more to “Heart” or “Hands”.
For example, if you are motivating for an annual industry conference or event, you might gather information on the positive returns from similar industry events. These returns could be in the form of improved brand and product/service awareness, revenue generated or enhanced stakeholder relationships. You might analyse what is already out there, and present an event that is well differentiated from what others offer, or that meets an as yet unmet need. This is the Head approach. Heart and Hands may come into play when you highlight the opportunities for employees who don’t usually work together to collaborate to make that event a success by tackling new tasks, building new skills and then celebrating success as a team. Playing a pro-active role in the planning or rollout of the event is “Hands”.
Simon Sinek’s approach of inspiring people falls into the “Heart” category. Sinek’s mission is to teach leaders and organisations how to inspire people. His TED talk has over 32 million views with subtitles in 45 languages. It tells us to discover our company “why”, and then to communicate that why. When you do this, you attract people who believe in your why, providing them with an opportunity to connect to your bigger purpose and to make it a reality from within their role and sphere of influence. This is incredibly powerful for motivating and inspiring employees towards common goals.
“Your why is the purpose, cause or belief that inspires you to do what you do.” – Simon Sinek.
Leaders and organisations who understand their why and they align around it exert exceptional influence.
The start of a new year is the perfect time to think about how you influence and what you will do to build your repertoire of approaches. The CCL whitepaper we looked at for this blog is a good place to start ‘Influencing: the skill of persuasion’. You can also find Simon Sinek’s Start with Why website, offering more insights and tools, here.
Do you have anything to add? Make 2019 your year of influence!
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