How to Master the Art of Influence?

6 min readJun 28, 2022

After writing my first article on the subject, some of my readers commented that it is not the employees only who lack the art of influencing others, it is their leaders as well. Here, in this article, I shall make an effort to suggest some guidelines for leaders to learn the art of influencing their people.

To be effective, in good times and in times of great challenge, leaders must possess the ability to influence people around them. By definition, “Influencing at the workplace, then, is a process of transforming the behaviors of employees. For example, a team leader can influence subordinates through his communication, policies and actions. Influencing is one of the important soft skills required for every individual, irrespective of their hierarchical position at the workplace”.

1. Network, Not Isolate

Influence is most often and most easily carried through trust. Only when a colleague trusts me will he/she be open to my influence. If you’re in a higher position in the company hierarchy, it’s possible to convey a demand or assign a task that must be carried out by the employee, but true influence suggests a free will component. If I assigned the same task but didn’t carry a higher authority, would my employee still listen to me and believe that the task is necessary to execute?

This hypothetical may not be relevant to some situations, but regardless of our position in comparison to the positions of our colleagues, if we want a healthy and influential working relationship, we’re going to have to cultivate trust. The easiest way to do that is to be open and honest, no matter what. Share opinions, disclose apprehensions, and don’t hide unnecessarily. It’s as simple as that.

2. Assertiveness, Not Aggression

Being assertive is the only way to get our ideas noticed, especially when we’re competing with others for visibility, such as in a high level board meetings or conferences. However, there’s a difference between being assertive and being aggressive. We’ll need to present our thoughts and ideas with a high degree of confidence, indicating our convictions, but any excessive degree of confidence could be mistaken for needless arrogance.

This assertiveness should extend as a general quality to all our interactions, regardless of whether we’re speaking to the senior or junior employees or our peers, and regardless of the conversation format. Let’s be assertive, as long as we truly believe in what we’re saying, is a way to cultivate a reputation of authority and earn the ability to influence your peers and employees.

3. Action, Not Argument

Trying to build influence merely through cheesy words is useless. Even leaders with perfect diction, accent and a background in rhetorical strategy can’t help win influence through speeches and arguments alone. If we’re going to build influence at the workplace, we need to speak through our actions, or at the very least have the actions and history to back up whatever we’re saying.

Part of this comes into play when we’re consistent with whatever we do. Working hard consistently and achieving good results shows others that we’re able to walk the talk. Demonstrating our ideas through real examples is the next step in this process. Instead of arguing about how we structure may work in theory. Let’s put it to practice.

4. Be Flexible, Not Rigid

Flexibility is also important. While this may seem like it conflicts with the need to be assertive (Point # 2 above). After all, it’s difficult to assert yourself fully if you’re open to changing your opinion. Being too stringent or adamant in our beliefs will work against us. In this case, people will see us not as assertive but as stubborn, immovable monolith and incapable of believing in anyone other than ourselves.

Instead, let’s work actively to demonstrate our flexibility to listen to people while holding fast on our own belief system. Negotiations and compromises are often the best ways to do this. Work with them to find a mutually acceptable solution. When people have faith in us to be flexible, they’ll be more likely to listen to us even if they’re stubborn in their own right.

5. Speak Less, Listen More

Finally, remember that influence is a two-way street. The more we believe in people around us and incorporate their ideas into our vision, the more they’ll believe in our ideas and incorporate them into their work habits. If we want to build up this kind of relationship with our colleagues at work, we first have to listen. Take time out to respect and acknowledge everybody’s opinion, and let people know that you value them.

This creates an atmosphere of mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual teamwork. If we’re spearheading the initiative to build this environment, they’ll see us as leaders, and our opinions will naturally be heard, acknowledged, and respected as a result. Remember, our goal here should be to become more respected at work, not to increase the likelihood of getting others to do our bidding.

Bottomline

To sum it up, influence has countless benefits, and is a particularly lucrative asset in the business world. Influence is power. No matter who we are, where we live and work, or what our professional aspirations are, achieving more influence in the workplace is critical for success. Gaining influence on a team can help us work together more effectively. Gaining influence in a supervisory position can make us more respected and appreciated.

Influence has countless advantages, but gaining that influence, like learning a skill, takes time and effort. Without the expertise and ability to influence others, the truly important things in work and in life can’t be achieved. But effective leaders don’t just command; they inspire, persuade, and encourage. Leaders tap the knowledge and skills of a group, direct individuals towards a common goal and consensus, and draw out a commitment to achieve results.

About the Author

Muhammad Sajwani is the Founder and Managing Director of Evolve HR which aims at transforming, enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan, Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders. As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.