Adept – Developing Your Influence

You have a good grasp of influence and are actively using it, but there are still areas to refine and master. You likely have some strong influence strategies, but they may not yet be fully strategic, consistent, or second nature.

 

Part 1: Creating Your Influence Development Plan

Improving your influence skills is a deliberate process that requires reflection, planning, and action. Since you’ve now completed the Master of Influence Assessment and identified your score, the next step is to develop a personal plan for growth.

Here’s how to approach it:

1️⃣ Identify Your Priorities – Look at your self-assessment scores and decide which sections are most important for your current role and aspirations. The areas where you scored lowest may be a great place to start, but you should also consider which capabilities will have the biggest impact on your influence.

2️⃣ Reflect on Your Score – Ask yourself:

• Why did I score this section the way I did?
• What real-world evidence do I have that supports this score?
• How does this skill (or lack of it) affect my success at work?

3️⃣ Decide What to Work On First – Choose one or two areas to focus on initially. Trying to develop everything at once can be overwhelming. Instead, make targeted improvements and build momentum over time.

4️⃣ Take Action – Learning is valuable, but real progress comes from applying what you learn. Consider:

• Practicing new strategies in real-world situations.
• Seeking feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors.
• Measuring your progress over time and adjusting your approach.

(Refer to the summary in Part 3 for a reminder of the Master of Influence indicators)

Part 2: Resources to Support Your Development

Below are hand-picked resources from The Gautrey Influence Blog that will help you advance your influence skills at the Adept level. Click on any of the articles to dive deeper and start implementing practical strategies.

➡ The Seven Deadly Sins of Executive Presence
➡ How to Maximise Your Promotion Prospects
➡ Making an Impact at the Top Table
➡Building Visibility and Promoting Your Reputation
➡Making Sense of Political Upheaval

📌 Want to revisit your assessment? You can always retake the Master of Influence Assessment to track your progress over time.

Part 3: Reference Guide – The 10 Master of Influence Capabilities

As you reflect on your development plan, use this reference guide to revisit the 10 key capabilities and their indicators. These are the 10 capabilities measured in the Master of Influence Assessment, helping you track your growth over time.

1. Personal Influence & Self-Awareness

✔ Knows how they are perceived and actively shapes their reputation.
✔ Understands their strengths, weaknesses, and emotional triggers.
✔ Aligns personal values with leadership actions.
✔ Balances confidence with humility in interactions.

✘ Struggles to understand why others react to them in certain ways.
✘ Unaware of personal blind spots that hold them back.
✘ Finds it difficult to separate emotions from decisions.
✘ Avoids self-reflection or overanalyzes to the point of inaction.

2. Clarity of Purpose & Direction

✔ Has a clear vision for leadership and influence.
✔ Communicates goals in a way that inspires action.
✔ Balances long-term purpose with short-term results.
✔ Maintains momentum and resilience despite obstacles.

✘ Struggles to define or articulate their purpose.
✘ Focuses too much on immediate tasks without long-term strategy.
✘ Loses motivation when facing setbacks.
✘ Hesitates in decision-making due to uncertainty about direction.

3. Understanding & Navigating Power

✔ Recognises the sources of power and influence in any situation.
✔ Understands what makes different individuals influential.
✔ Navigates political and informal power structures with integrity.
✔ Knows when to challenge authority and when to align with it.

✘ Misjudges who holds real influence in a given situation.
✘ Struggles to assert themselves or feels powerless in decision-making.
✘ Engages in workplace politics in a way that damages credibility.
✘ Avoids authority figures altogether or resists power without strategy.

4. Building Strong Relationships & Networks

✔ Quickly builds rapport and finds common ground with others.
✔ Develops strategic networks that enhance their influence.
✔ Builds strong alliances and collaborations across different groups.
✔ Creates high-trust relationships by demonstrating reliability and authenticity.

✘ Struggles to build or maintain relationships.
✘ Views networking as purely transactional rather than meaningful.
✘ Lacks a strong support system or influential connections.
✘ Fails to earn trust or demonstrate consistency in relationships.

5. Understanding People & Situations

✔ Reads people well, anticipating their responses and motivations.
✔ Understands the pressures and agendas influencing stakeholders.
✔ Recognises how formal and informal groups function and interact.
✔ Adapts influence strategies based on the personalities and needs of others.

✘ Often surprised by how people react to them.
✘ Overlooks unspoken tensions or hidden motivations.
✘ Struggles to recognise when someone is disengaged or resistant.
✘ Approaches every situation in the same way without adjusting to the context.

6. Adapting & Tailoring Influence Strategies

✔ Thinks carefully about the right approach for each situation.
✔ Chooses the right timing and method for maximum impact.
✔ Instantly adjusts behaviour to connect with different individuals.
✔ Uses persuasion techniques effectively while maintaining integrity.

✘ Sticks rigidly to one influence style, even when ineffective.
✘ Pushes too hard and alienates others, or hesitates and misses opportunities.
✘ Struggles to sense when their approach isn’t landing well.
✘ Relies on authority rather than persuasion to gain support.

7. Communicating for Impact & Persuasion

✔ Communicates with clarity, confidence, and authority.
✔ Adjusts messaging to different audiences for maximum influence.
✔ Engages groups persuasively and reads the mood of an audience.
✔ Presents ideas in a way that builds buy-in and action.

✘ Struggles to hold attention or make a strong impact.
✘ Uses the same message for all audiences without adjusting.
✘ Misjudges the mood of an audience and fails to engage them.
✘ Comes across as unsure, unconvincing, or too aggressive.

8. Strategic Thinking & Decision-Making

✔ Thinks ahead and anticipates how situations will unfold.
✔ Develops strategies to achieve influence goals efficiently.
✔ Prioritises stakeholders and actions for the greatest impact.
✔ Makes clear, ethical decisions that balance risks and rewards.

✘ Reacts impulsively without considering long-term impact.
✘ Focuses too much on tactics without an overarching strategy.
✘ Struggles to prioritise key people and initiatives.
✘ Avoids tough decisions due to fear of failure.

9. Mastering Organisational & Group Dynamics

✔ Identifies key influencers within groups and organisations.
✔ Understands how cultural and diversity factors shape interactions.
✔ Recognises the hidden power structures in different environments.
✔ Builds consensus and alignment between different groups.

✘ Misjudges the real decision-makers in a group.
✘ Overlooks the influence of culture or diversity in leadership.
✘ Struggles to navigate group disagreements effectively.
✘ Lacks the patience or skill to align differing perspectives.

10. Resilience & Adaptive Growth

✔ Continually develops influence skills through learning and reflection.
✔ Stays adaptable in unpredictable environments.
✔ Uses setbacks as learning opportunities to refine strategies.
✔ Demonstrates tenacity in the pursuit of their leadership purpose.

✘ Becomes easily discouraged by setbacks.
✘ Resists changing course even when necessary.
✘ Lacks curiosity or interest in self-improvement.
✘ Views failure as a personal flaw rather than a learning opportunity.

 

What’s Next?

Your results from the Master of Influence Assessment are just the beginning—use this guide to prioritise your development areas and start taking action. Influence is a skill that grows with practice—commit to small, intentional steps, and you’ll see significant progress over time!

👉 Have questions or want personalised guidance? Visit my Contact Page to get in touch—I’d love to hear your thoughts and help you on your journey.