INFLUENCE AND PERSUADE
WHY IT MATTERS
Leaders need followers. Sometimes those followers come forward on their own. Most of the time those followers need to be convinced why they should join a leader in their cause. Leaders need to be able to gain commitment from people who can help them accomplish their vision and work. Leaders who can influence and persuade people will gain the supporters and partners that are critical if they want to achieve their goals. They will go beyond having people who work for them to having people who really believe in and care about what they are trying to do. Leaders that can’t influence and persuade people will find themselves working towards their objectives alone, without the hearts, minds, and next-level support of those who surround them.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that excel at influencing and persuading other people are able to win them to their cause. They put forward convincing and energizing visions for the future. They allow people to share their point of view and ask the hard questions. They build consensus and resolve concerns about their thoughts and ideas. They lead others to rally around and adopt the ideas and strategies they propose.
Leaders that influence and persuade others don’t rely on their position in the organization to drive people to follow their direction or agree with them. They don’t want people to follow them just because they are the leader. They want people to follow them because they feel for themselves that it is the right thing to do. They convince people of their thinking based on sound arguments and solid facts. They know what matters most to people and use that knowledge to secure win-win outcomes. They base their conclusions on concrete thought, strong data, sound reasoning, and relevant experience. They use stories, metaphors, and anecdotes to communicate the thoughts they hope to convey. They frame their messages in ways that connect with all people and are easy to understand and apply.
Leaders that influence and persuade others use their time to create meaningful people relationships. Their knowledge of people helps them know what makes people tick and predict how they may react in different situations. They use their personal knowledge about people to thoughtfully plan how to change their point of view. They adjust their influencing strategy based on the situation and the person they are trying to influence.
Leaders that excel at influencing and persuading others never cross the line into manipulation. They sense the moral difference between influencing and manipulating. In their effort to steer people’s thoughts or actions in a direction they act with complete integrity, regardless of the potential loss or opportunity it may create for themselves, their project, or their organization. They refuse to resort to exchanging unethical favors, using threats, or deploying any method that could be construed as dishonest.
Leaders that have the ability to influence and persuade can take hard positions without causing a negative impact on important relationships or the work they are moving forward. They know how to be passionate about what they are trying to accomplish without being over-the-top.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
Leaders need followers. Sometimes those followers come forward on their own. Most of the time those followers need to be convinced why they should join a leader in their cause. Leaders need to be able to gain commitment from people who can help them accomplish their vision and work. Leaders who can influence and persuade people will gain the supporters and partners that are critical if they want to achieve their goals. They will go beyond having people who work for them to having people who really believe in and care about what they are trying to do. Leaders that can’t influence and persuade people will find themselves working towards their objectives alone, without the hearts, minds, and next-level support of those who surround them.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that excel at influencing and persuading other people are able to win them to their cause. They put forward convincing and energizing visions for the future. They allow people to share their point of view and ask the hard questions. They build consensus and resolve concerns about their thoughts and ideas. They lead others to rally around and adopt the ideas and strategies they propose.
Leaders that influence and persuade others don’t rely on their position in the organization to drive people to follow their direction or agree with them. They don’t want people to follow them just because they are the leader. They want people to follow them because they feel for themselves that it is the right thing to do. They convince people of their thinking based on sound arguments and solid facts. They know what matters most to people and use that knowledge to secure win-win outcomes. They base their conclusions on concrete thought, strong data, sound reasoning, and relevant experience. They use stories, metaphors, and anecdotes to communicate the thoughts they hope to convey. They frame their messages in ways that connect with all people and are easy to understand and apply.
Leaders that influence and persuade others use their time to create meaningful people relationships. Their knowledge of people helps them know what makes people tick and predict how they may react in different situations. They use their personal knowledge about people to thoughtfully plan how to change their point of view. They adjust their influencing strategy based on the situation and the person they are trying to influence.
Leaders that excel at influencing and persuading others never cross the line into manipulation. They sense the moral difference between influencing and manipulating. In their effort to steer people’s thoughts or actions in a direction they act with complete integrity, regardless of the potential loss or opportunity it may create for themselves, their project, or their organization. They refuse to resort to exchanging unethical favors, using threats, or deploying any method that could be construed as dishonest.
Leaders that have the ability to influence and persuade can take hard positions without causing a negative impact on important relationships or the work they are moving forward. They know how to be passionate about what they are trying to accomplish without being over-the-top.
BELIEFS
- You have to know the difference between influencing and manipulating, and commit to never cross the line.
- Even more important than having the best idea is being able to frame that idea in a way that convinces people you are right.
- If your ability to influence others is based on your position, it is probably a sign you don’t have much influence.
- Thoughts and arguments, if they are going to truly persuade, need to be based on data and not just supposition.
- Personal perceptions, feelings, and conclusions will never be enough to sway people. You need hard facts on your side.
- Influencing and persuading is simply the process by which an organization and its people coalesce around an idea.
- It is the job of a leader to help people overcome their different ways of seeing things and unite around a single path forward.
- If you are truly an influencer you can see each situation and each individual uniquely and adjust your approach accordingly.
BEST PRACTICES
- Customize your influencing approach.
- Do not use your position to get your way.
- Influence through thinking and reasoning.
- Base your arguments on facts and analysis.
- Predict where the resistance will be.
- Present your thoughts convincingly.
- Gain the trust of others through your expertise.
- Know who the real decision makers are.
- Involve the right people in your efforts.
- Do not use bribes or promise future favors.
- Understand the main issues of key decisions.
- Change your style based on the situation.
- Build a relationship with key stakeholders.
- Promote the ideas you believe to be best.
- Shape people’s opinions through logic and data.
- Be direct but also be diplomatic.
- Identify the key leverage points.
- Seek for common ground.
- Maintain your composure.
- Differentiate persuading and manipulating.
- Know when to give and when to take.
- Do not take advantage of others.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I win people over to my cause, or do I always seem to lack the support I feel I need?
- Do I get people who disagree with me to change their point of view, or do I struggle to get them to see things my way?
- Do I use sound logic, data, and facts to persuade others, or do I rely too much on raw ideas and emotion?
- Do I get people to agree with me because they think I am right, or do I get them to agree with me because of my position?
- Do I change my influencing strategy based on the person and situation, or do I treat every situation the same?
- Do I frame my thoughts and arguments in ways that people can understand, or do I fail to communicate clearly?
- Do I effectively persuade people who disagree with me, or do I only persuade people who already think like I do?
- Do I ensure my efforts to persuade others are honest and ethical, or do I manipulate other people to get what I want?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t ignore the signs that say you aren’t going to win the battle you are in, keep pushing, and lose future opportunities.
- Don’t think you should or will be able to convince everyone to think and believe the same as you every time.
- Don’t get labeled a “salesman” and have people ignore you because they think you are always trying to sell something.
- I can get people to follow my ideas.
- I am good at explaining my ideas.
- Stories are a good way to help others understand a situation.
- I use facts and data to support my line of thought.
- I like to convince other people to follow me.