Thursday, March  28


Our Workshops
Online Workshops
Overview of our Coaching Services
Overview of our Consulting Services
What our Satisfied Clients are Saying!
Resources for your Development
The Institute's Weblog
People and Projects Podcast
Check out online video and audio samples!
Archives of our Horizon Time newsletter
About the Institute
Contact us about project management and leadership development

 

Call us toll-free to reserve a date for your event
 RSS Feed

 

View Andy Kaufman's profile on LinkedIn

 

Join my list of friends on Facebook!



Previous Posts


Archives
07/2003
08/2003
09/2003
10/2003
12/2003
01/2004
02/2004
03/2004
04/2004
05/2004
06/2004
07/2004
08/2004
12/2004
01/2005
04/2005
05/2005
08/2005
12/2005
01/2006
02/2006
03/2006
04/2006
05/2006
07/2006
08/2006
09/2006
10/2006
01/2007
02/2007
03/2007
04/2007
07/2007
10/2007
11/2007
01/2008
02/2008
03/2008
04/2008
05/2008
06/2008
07/2008
08/2008
09/2008
10/2008
11/2008
01/2009
02/2009
03/2009
04/2009
05/2009
06/2009
08/2009
 

Search our site

Andy Kaufman, Expert Author on EzineArticles.com  


  Home > Leadership in the Real World Blog

[Powered by Blogger] Leadership in the Real World Blog
Notes, links, and inspiration about topics related to personal and leadership development.
 


Thursday, September 25, 2003

Leading by Influencing without Authority

John Maxwell says that "Leadership is influence." If you had to sum it up in a word, that works. Yet the more I work with leaders in corporate America, I'm amazed at how little time they put toward becoming better influencers.

Have you noticed that you increasingly need to influence without authority? You're not alone. Increasingly we are responsible to deliver value with resources we do not have authority over. Could be due to a matrix organizational structure. Could be the work is split across multiple teams... in multiple locations. The best leaders realize they must manage "up" as much as "down". Add "across" to that and we have our hands full. To thrive in this environment, leaders must sharpen their ability to influence without authority.

In a recent group coaching session I facilitated with I.T. leaders, we wrestled with how to become better influencers. After discussing characteristics and behaviors of influencers we have observed, we identified the following steps to help our next influencing situation:
  • Prepare ahead of time. It's been said that the average sales person "shows up and throws up", a graphic way of saying they don't prepare. Don't let that be said of you.

  • When preparing, think about how the other person sees the world. Are they visual ("I don't see what you're saying"), auditory ("Do you hear what I'm saying?"), or more intuitive ("I don't feel good about this."). Prepare your influencing discussion accordingly.

  • Consider their Social Style. Are they opposite, so to speak, from you? Be prepared to meet their style. For example, an Amiable may need to take a double-shot espresso and put a scowl on their face before influencing a Driver. An analytical may need to smile and be more animated when trying to influence an Expressive. An Expressive may need to shut up and listen when trying to influence an Analytical! Easy-to-remember tip: Match the other person's energy.

  • How much trust is there in the relationship? If low, realize it will negatively impact your ability to influence. Make a plan for how to build trust, realizing it takes time--and more importantly, requires you to be trustworthy to them. Seeking win-win influencing situations is more than a novel idea--it builds trust for future influencing.

Influencing is one of those core skills that make the difference between a manager and leader. You get better at it the more you intentionally practice it, so take the time to work on the characteristics and behaviors of the influencers in your life.

For further reading: How to Win Allies and Influence Your Peers - Leadership Agenda - CIO Magazine Sep 1,2003

P.S. We can help you improve the influencing skills of your leaders. Give us a call.

posted by Andy at 1:14 PM  


0 comment(s)  Post a Comment


  Call us toll-free at (866) 88 I-LEAD    | Privacy Policy  
Copyright © 2001-2009, Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc., All Rights Reserved.