What proportion of your job is about influencing others? Probably quite a bit.
What proportion of your time is spent influencing others? Probably not enough.
If influence is a major part of your job and you are not doing enough of it, why is that?
Chances are quite high that is due to one of the following:
- You don’t have the time.
- You forget you need to do it.
- You cannot reach the people you need to influence.
- You’re not very good at it.
All bar one of these are excuses as far as I am concerned. Once you know the value influence can bring, you will find the time, remember to do it, and discover ways to reach those you need to reach. As with so many challenging activities, motivation is key. The last one can still trip you up though, so you have to work hard to get really good at influencing people.
As part of the transformation I take clients through, I like to get them to explore what success looks and feels like. In addition to asking them to describe role-model influencers, I share with them the traits I have noticed in those who have attained an exceptional level of influencing skill.
While you are reading these, give yourself an honest score out of 10 for each based on how well you measure up to the description (make 10 exceptional).
Professional influencers are generally:
- Conscious: Within seconds of meeting a professional influencer, you will notice that they are acutely aware of what is going on around them. They are conscious of the agendas, (personal and professional), and how these compare and contrast with each other and their own agenda. If they are willing to share with you, they will be able to make most of the decisions made by others seem very rational.
- Considered: Consequently, they will consider what this means for them, and for you if you are lucky. They will have thought through the scenarios, determined what they don’t know but need to know, and will already have a plan in action to fill the gaps in their intelligence.
- Careful: These two factors give rise to a degree of careful planning and execution. It is not so much that they are cautious, but rather that they take a measured approach to their influencing. In fact, you may not notice the care because they can appear brave or even foolhardy. But then, you don’t know what they know.
- Challenging: They may be calm and confident, but they are also extremely challenging. Not in an aggressive way, they have no need for that. But they are very ambitious and demanding. They focus on big goals and will drive through others’ confusion to reach their target.
- Charismatic: All great influencers are people people. They can make people feel special and thus unlock the potential of their relationships. It is true that some influencers are not like this, but they don’t tend to endure long, or exhibit the other traits mentioned here.
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- Compassionate: That said, they demonstrate their human side. They tend to be aware of the way others struggle. That doesn’t mean they will come to their aid, but they will act to lessen the pain for others who are less able to cope. Mind you, because they have everything under control, they will generally be able to find time to help those who have the right attitude.
- Confident: The result of the traits above means that they exhibit a strong sense of confidence. I’ve noticed that this rarely tips into arrogance. They have an assurance (based on experience) that once they set their course they will achieve their objective, regardless of what else may happen along the way.
- Calm: By this, I mean that they can deal with the unexpected without becoming upset or frustrated. They see these events for what they are, quietly slot the new intelligence into the bigger picture they are already aware of and adjust their plans if necessary. No sweat, no drama.
- Comfortable: Professional influencers are generally happy with their position, and it shows. If they aspire to higher levels, they relax and just move towards it rather than desperately seeking the next promotion. Quite often, they are content to stay where they are if their current position is providing them with what they need in their life.
You can use this list to set your personal development priorities. Once you have scored yourself you can then start to consider which ones need to be improved to give you more influence.
Although there are many ways to develop each of these, by far the most useful one to develop is the first. If you become more conscious of what is going on around you, the other traits will be far easier to develop. And if you are not very conscious of what is going on around you, applying the other traits could be unwise.
While I edited this list, it occurred to me that there were a few traits missing. Can you help?
If you compare the list with people you know who are role models for influence, what else do you notice in them?
Colin Gautrey
Provocative Coach/Mentor | Specialism: Impact and Influence
Ready to take the next step? Discover how personalised coaching can ignite your full potential and accelerate your success. When you’re ready, let’s talk about how we can work together to turn your vision into a reality.
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