Steps to Being An Influential Leader

As a leader, influencing is critical and developing those skills so you can more effectively get things done is key. So how do you do it?

Here’s a simple formula, however the execution of it will take time, diligence, dedication and support. I call it the Influential Communicator Formula or the I.C. Formula…

1. Know thyself
2. Know your value
3. Know your audience

Let’s go through each one…

Know thyself:
I haven’t been so great at knowing myself over the years – what are my strengths, areas of challenge, behaviors and values. It took some mining of my own skills and asking others to reveal to me what I couldn’t see.

Firstly was to identify what are my behaviors and values. You may work at an organization that already administers these assessments. Either way, people fall into one of four buckets when it comes to behaviors:

Respond to issues and confrontations (extroverted) ⇒ Assertive
Persuade others to opinions/ideas (extroverted) ⇒ Persuasive
Respond to the pace of your surroundings (introverted) ⇒ Stable
React to systems, policies and procedures (introverted) ⇒ Analytical

Additionally, we all have two core values that drive everything we do; two that show up every once in a while; and two that don’t really affect you. Here are the six:
• Knowledge: passion for analysis and systems and thirst for knowledge
• ROI: passion for ROI in all areas – time, money, relationships
• Balance: passion to have balance and harmony
• Service: passion to help others, leave a legacy, team player
• Power: passion to achieve leadership, power, control and position
• Codebook: passion for living through a personally defined system of living

As a way to know yourself:
1. List your core strengths
2. Areas of potential challenge
3. Hone in on your one core behavior and two core values.

As you begin to learn what you are really good at, start doing more of it. When you identify areas of challenge, delegate it because this will be someone else’s strength and why spend time doing what you aren’t good at? As you learn your core behaviors and values, see if you can also figure out those around you. Begin communicating from their behaviors and values and watch the impact of your communication grow.

Next blog we’ll focus on knowing your value and knowing your audience.

Until then!