A leader’s ability to influence people makes him/her a good or a bad leader. Influence is about moving people from resistance to compliance to commitment.
So, where is the tipping point? Great leaders can influence people, with the people knowing and willing to be influenced by him/her. The reason? Because they know this is a leader who influences positively with the people in mind.
Influence is more than just leaders having strong communication skills and charismatic personalities. You cannot become a successful leader unless you know how to influence people. After all, leadership is influence.
#1 You don’t need a position of authority to be a leader.
A manager may not necessarily be a leader.
As long as you convince people to believe in and follow you, you are a leader.
There are certain traits you find in most successful leaders. These include integrity, honesty, confidence, optimism, and willingness to take risks. If you have these traits, you can be a leader. But without influence, all these traits will get you nowhere.
This is why you must learn to apply the principles of influence.
#2 The Common Mistake
A common mistake people make is limiting their leadership qualities to the workplace. Good leaders break boundaries, not adhere to them. If you learn to apply the principles of influence, the sky is the limit as far as your leadership is concerned. You can influence not only the people who work with you, above and below you but all the parties connected to your business.
This is the hallmark of a true business leader.
The importance of influence for a leader can be understood by getting a large group of people to observe your command if you have it.
#3 Influence Gets You Resources.
If you aren’t influential, you will find it hard to get one person to do as you say.
In the workplace, this is a priceless quality. You can take ownership of projects and get the personnel available to complete them to the best of their abilities and within the prescribed deadline.
If you feel intimidated by a superior or a colleague, you cannot be a successful leader. You must be influential enough to influence competitors, suppliers, partners, clients and even other leaders. Naturally, your influence would be more significant within your organisation.
To reiterate, you don’t have to be in a position of authority to be a leader. You can be a leader regardless of your current designation and job status.
If there has been an instance where your opinion led to a change in the organization or influenced a decision, it shows that you have exercised influence.
This is Joseph@RISEUP Signing Off.
May You TRANSFORM, FLOURISH AND PROSPER in the brand new world!
#riseup #riseupglobal #showup #leadership #team #motivation #inspiration #motivation #influence
