Some People Excel At Expanding Their Influence and Some Don't: Which One Are You?

Discover your leadership potential and expand your influence by avoiding these top mistakes and adopting these best practices for leading a team through historic workforce challenges.

A powerful leader has influence and uses it to make things better. They implement vision and company values, inspire and motivate employees, pave the path for ingenuity and innovation, and foster an upbeat company culture that keeps top talent happy and fulfilled

But a leader doesn’t develop influence overnight. It takes time, experience, and dialed-in self-awareness to become the kind of leader that can positively influence others. A good leader recognizes the distinct privilege of being able to lead others in such a profound and extraordinary way.

Some leaders excel at expanding their influence by being trustworthy, humble, empathetic, and honest. But some leaders employ outdated red-flag behavior that constricts their circle instead of expanding it.

Whether you have peak influence in your industry or your smaller-scale clout leaves a little to be desired, every leader has the power to apply practical tools and strategies that can upgrade their leadership and elevate their influence.

So if you’re ready to take your leadership to the next level, here’s what to do—and what not to do.

How Not to Be an Influential Leader

There are leaders whose influence ends at the broken coffee machine in the break room. Many times, they’ve spent years perfecting the art of obsolete leadership practices that haven’t brought value to organizations since the invention of the copy machine.

The reality is, though, everyone has weaknesses. But leaders who choose to ignore them or not to deal with them appropriately may impede their ability to effectively lead and influence others.

Some signs you may be an un-influential leader:

• You are often unavailable or inaccessible, making it difficult for people to get to know you.

• You don’t take the time to connect with and bond with people.

• You ignore the importance of investing in and developing your employees.

• You avoid giving honest feedback which can promote stagnancy and reward mediocrity.

• You avoid facing issues or topics that may provoke emotion or unease.

• You ignore interpersonal conflict and/or manage it ineffectively.

• You are resistant to change or new ideas.

• You discourage any deviation from the status quo or comfort zone.

• You lead with an autocratic, iron-fist leadership style and/or adopt a “that’s not my job” attitude.

• You micromanage your team and seldom trust them to accomplish tasks with limited or no supervision.

• You have a hard time communicating effectively with others.

• You have a generally negative outlook, especially when faced with challenges.

• You avoid connecting purpose to tedious responsibilities and tasks, causing your employees to miss their bigger-picture contributions to company success.

How to Be an Influential Leader

Influential leaders are generally upbeat, positive people who see problems as opportunities. Their can-do attitude and consistently chipper personality make them winning managers and quite frankly, someone who is just more fun to work with.

Some signs you are an influential leader:

• You convey feedback and hard truths in a kind and sincere way to support employees’ development and maximize performance.

• You listen attentively to connect with your team, build relationships, and show a sincere interest in their personal and professional development.

• You take ownership of and even share your mistakes, making you relatable, credible, and approachable.

• You encourage and welcome individuality, free thought, new ideas, and brainstorming sessions in a collaborative setting where laughter is not forbidden, but encouraged.

• You lead with inspiration, innovation, creativity, and customers at the forefront of everything you do.

• You challenge your team to take risks and work independently, knowing trust is a cornerstone of any leadership foundation.

• You have a generally positive, optimistic outlook and keep your composure even when difficulties arise.

• You make work more meaningful and fun for others.

Influential Leadership: The Bottom Line

While people use power and influence interchangeably, the reality is they are not the same. Having power means you can drive a specific outcome; but influence means you have the extraordinary ability to inspire others to spur into action willingly and happily to accomplish a specific outcome, knowing they play a pivotal role in the success of the team and organization.

An un-influential leader is at worst, a challenge to work with and at best, a hallmark of mediocrity. But an influential leader is more likely to be noticed, get promotions, develop stronger relationships with employees and managers, and have a direct impact on the scalability and success of an organization.

Accelerate Your Impact

RC3 Partners stands at the intersection of Executive Search and Leadership Development. Our mission is to elevate organizations by aligning them with leaders who don't just fill roles but redefine them. Contact us today to learn more.