As a leader, you want people to follow you, but to have followers you have to be seen as an influential leader.
This article is not about learning how to make people do what you want them to do but about the influence we have with the people we know and who we work with. Leaders want to have a positive effect on others and to do this they add value to the person or add value to the situation.
Think about the people you know and work with each day. How would you like to help them grow as an individual, an employee, or help them become a leader themselves? Think about offering to mentor them or when you see a job well done, give them a sincere compliment. Think about giving information that will allow them to complete their job easier or faster or give them the tools they need to handle problems that arise.
The difference between a leader and an influential leader is an influential leader will look for ways to freely share their knowledge and skills with others. They do not look for rewards, or remuneration, or have the attitude of “I have helped you, so you now owe me.” An influential leader does not keep a check list of who owes who what.
Are you wondering why a leader would share their knowledge and skills freely with others? Why wouldn’t they not hoard the information and use it only for their own good?
We have all come in contact with leaders who believe if they share their knowledge then someone will come along and take what they have already worked to achieve. These leaders keep their information close to the vest. They believe by doing so they are ensuring their hold over others because they know information others do not.
Other leaders fear if they share their knowledge with their employees, their employees will take that information and will move on to other jobs or open their own business and take away their customers. Still other leaders fear their employees will become more knowledgeable than they are and they will no longer have power over them. These are valid fears which many leaders struggle with and does not allow them to comfortably hand out their knowledge and teach their skills.
Though leaders may not want to see their mentored employees move on to other jobs, an influential leader will feel pride in knowing they gave their employees the knowledge and skills they needed to move onward and upward in their career. Influential leaders also know by empowering and developing leadership skills in their employees, they themselves become more influential.
In 1984, Dr. Robert Cialdini wrote about the 6 Principles of Persuasion. In his book, Dr. Cialdini discusses the theory of influence. One aspect of his theory is the principle of reciprocity. When a leader shares information or gives something to someone, the recipient feels indebted to them. If the person on the receiving end receives the information without a feeling of commitment, they are likely to reciprocate with positive feedback and be more open to future influence from that leader.
An influential leader wants to develop positive feelings with others they interact with.
Think about all the people you interact with each day. Is it so hard to give someone a compliment, offer a cup of coffee, share information, mentor, or lend a helping hand? These actions are all forms of influence. Though some people may think knowing this strategy of leadership can be used to make people follow them or like them better, remember that people know when a leader is being insincere , calculating, or expecting something in return.
Tomorrow morning when you get out of bed, think about how you can add value to someone you know or work with. Look for opportunities during the day to give compliments or helpful information. Be genuine and don’t have expectations of receiving something in return. Soon you will find your sphere of influence increasing each day.
How did you share information or give someone a compliment today?
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