Successful leadership requires influence.  Without it, how will you make your mark on your organization and your team?  Influencing is about engaging others in your vision—helping to build a coalition of support for your ideas and goals.  It’s about understanding how to embrace your point of view and your power to make a difference in your team and business.  It requires confidence, courage, and a fair amount of finesse.

We tend to remember those who made a positive impact on us, who influenced in a helpful or inspiring way.  But influence can be exerted as a form of pressure as well. To be clear let's focus on words (from dictionary.com).

·         Pressure:  To force (someone) toward a particular end.
·         Manipulate:  To manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner.
·         Influence:  The capacity or power of person or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the action, behaviors, opinions, etc. of others.

3 Ways to Appeal (Center for Creative Leadership)

1. Logical, 2. Emotional,  3. Collaborative

Logical:  Using the Head  Appealing to logic means tapping into the rational and intellectual elements of your position.  This strategy requires sound thinking, and a structured approach.

Tips:

• Take time to gather the appropriate facts and data
• Prepare a well thought out plan
• Point out the advantages of your ideas, how risks will be managed
• Systematically compare other options 
• Be able to articulate the outcome if your approach is not adopted
• Weave in information from other authoritative sources 

Emotional:  Using the Heart  Using the heart means you are promoting feelings to craft your message towards a common vision or goals, appealing to another persons needs and wants as well as your own.

Tips:

• Understand that humans are motivated by pleasure and pain
• Tailor  to the needs and values of others
• Listen to show caring and concern
• Paint a picture of your solution, engage the senses 
• Tell stories 
• Inspires and builds pride
• Appeal to common values

Collaborative:  Using Cooperation  Collaboration relies on the process of working together to accomplish a mutually important goal.  This approach is founded on the premise that we value being asked for our opinions, to have a stake in our future.

Tips:

• Start by  articulating goals and expected outcomes
• Explain what is negotiable, what is not
• Share ideas in an engaging and interesting manner
• Get people’s concerns and values out in the open
• Engage others who can influence on your behalf 
• Be willing to adapt your ideas 
• Use liberal (sincere) praise and reinforcement

Summary

Long-Term

1. Strengthen connections
2. Be credible, do your homework, know your subject and audience
3. Maintain high integrity
4. People tend to be influenced most by those that are “likeable”  
5. Demonstrate warmth and likeability

 Short-Term

1. Use a planful approach: your goal & why it's important
2. Uncover your challenges and how you will mitigate them
3. Know your stakeholders:  their point of view, the most effective strategy to appeal to them
4. Use excellent communication skills
5. Know how to rec

Be the Best Leader You Know

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To sharpen your skills and increase your confidence, check out the Confident Leader Course:  https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader