Leadership Capability: Influencing Others

This blog is part of a 16-part series focused on what capabilities make a strong leader. Sounding Board has identified 16 leadership capabilities that the strongest leaders possess. These were developed from research-backed leadership theories, leadership competencies used for evaluation from top business schools, and 25+ years of practical coaching application. 

Think about the last time you Googled a product. Maybe you’ve been eyeing a new pair of sneakers, and you’re watching for a sale. Before you decide to pull the trigger, all of a sudden, you start seeing other, very interesting ads for similar shoe brands. It feels like they’re reading your mind — or your digital cache — and now you’re considering a new brand of sneakers that may soon become your favorite.

We often see this power and ability to influence people in our everyday lives. Less frequently however, do we come across people who are tactically adept at influencing others at work; people who inspire us, evoke our trust, and make us believe in their vision. Real, influential leadership is a power that stretches far beyond corporate marketing ploys.

In today’s uber competitive marketplace, it’s not enough to be a good, or even a great leader. One should also be influential. It’s about leveraging a different kind of cache, the kind that goes along with being named to Time Magazine’s annual list of the world’s most influential people — individuals like Naomi Osaka, Shonda Rhimes, and Jensen Huang. These are people with immense power, who much of the public trusts. A leader who can influence people doesn’t have to be on that same scale. It’s about being someone who others want to hear and see more of because we believe in the vision they embody.

Influential leadership is an imperative

Merriam Webster defines influence as: “the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways.” In other words, it’s the ability to produce an effect or behavior in another person without explicitly alluding to, forcing, or coercing it out of them. 

When it comes to leadership, Vanessa Van Edwards, author and founder of Science of People, said that influence is the ability to develop a vision around something you care about, to show others why you care, and to earn their buy-in and support to make that vision a reality. 

Whether you’re a hopeful presidential candidate looking for votes, or a people leader looking for budget to launch your next big idea, influential leadership is vital to make things happen. If a leader can’t effectively influence others, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to garner support or trust from the people they need to get the job done. Fortunately, like most leadership capabilities, influencing people is a skill that can be learned and honed, and working with a certified leadership coach can help.

How to increase your influence at work

Anyone can lead, but not every leader can influence people. At its heart, influential leadership is about the trust you evoke from other people through your actions, communication style, subject matter expertise, and ability to connect. There are quite a few ways to keep your skills in these areas sharp, but start with some foundational basics:

  1. Communicate and listen with an open mind: Communication is a two-way street. If influence is about persuading others and garnering their trust in you as a leader, it is also about listening to your people and understanding their concerns, feedback, and praise. It’s vital to engage others with transparency and authenticity to gain their respect and trust. Remember, no one wants to feel manipulated; people are only willing to be influenced by leaders they have faith in.

  2. Model a mindset of lifelong learning: When we think about influential leaders, rarely does the picture of a stagnant, stubborn individual come to mind. Rather, influential leadership looks like someone who is constantly evolving. They keep their skills up to date to stay relevant, and they can pivot when the situation calls for it. It’s imperative for business leaders to continually evaluate themselves, and adapt in a world that changes so quickly.

  3. Motivate and support others: Think about former First Lady Michelle Obama. Irrespective of one’s political leanings, she is an individual who commands respect and trust. She wields incredible influence, yet, she portrays a relatable air of understanding and empathy with almost everyone she engages. When she delivers speeches, it’s as if she’s speaking directly to you. Her influence is grounded in lifting others up. For business leaders looking to influence others, this must be a priority. Encourage your people, and support their growth. When they deliver bigger and better things, it will reflect on you and your organization.

  4. Remember, you’re the expert: Perhaps the most challenging task of all is trusting yourself. When you, as a leader with influence, ask for others’ trust, it is vital that they observe your faith in yourself. Balance is key. You don’t want to fake it, but you also don’t want to appear arrogant. So, when you bring a new project, product, or person on-board, be certain of your decisions and confident in your expertise. Genuine expertise will imbue you with an air of self-confidence that people can trust.

Influential leaders don’t have to stand alone

Influencing others is an art. Leaders who are consistently able to influence people have likely honed their craft for years to gain the expertise, recognition, and trust they now enjoy. They are excellent communicators, and have the interpersonal skills that earn buy-in and faith from their people. Leadership coaching can accelerate acquisition of these skills, and it’s worth it to engage in this development work. For modern leaders, influence is a superpower that will open doors today, and keep their impact in collective memory tomorrow and beyond. 

With the right development strategy and some practice, you can learn to inspire others and wield influence too. Fortunately, there’s no need to do it alone. At Sounding Board, our certified coaches are highly trained to help you fill the leadership toolbox you need to communicate more openly, promote a learning culture, inspire others, and use the expertise you already have to level up your influence and create a positive impact in your organization. Request a demo today.

Subscribe to Our
Newsletter

Stay up to date with new releases, features, how-tos, leadership tips, and more. (Don’t worry, we won’t flood your inbox or share your address.)
REQUEST A DEMO

We Develop The World's Most Impactful Leaders

Sounding Board offers virtual and scalable enterprise learning solutions that are flexible enough to adapt to rapidly changing work environments. Powered by behavioral science and core leadership capabilities, our proven coaching methodology drives measurable business impact.

Niall MacGearailt

SVP of Finance
Niall MacGearailt leads Sounding Board’s finance division as the SVP of Finance and Operations. Niall earned a solid track record of improving P&L and operational expense management for leading companies such as Whirlpool, Logitech, Avaya and most recently Soraa, where he prepared the business for acquisition by leading hi-tech lighting company, Ecosense. In his role, he is responsible for building and leading the finance & relevant operations functions for the company.

Ron Buell

VP of Engineering
Ron Buell is the VP of Engineering at Sounding Board and an accomplished software professional with extensive experience in leadership, software engineering, project management, and product management. Ron has led the development of highly scalable systems and applications across a variety of technologies for companies including OpenFeint (acquired by GREE), Rdio (acquired by Pandora), Lyris Technologies, and Lotus/IBM Software Group. In his role at Sounding Board, Buell is responsible for all engineering efforts in developing, deploying, and maintaining the enterprise software platform and team for the company.

Tommy Perkins

SVP OF SALES, PARTNERSHIP & CUSTOMER SUCCESS

Tommy is at his best helping clients think through complex challenges in order to create a positive impact on their organizations. He thrives when interacting with others whether helping his team succeed or working with clients to build long-term partnerships. He has extensive experience consulting with organizations on driving their employee experience, guiding organizations through change, and working to ensure organizations are moving the needle when it comes to their results.

Most recently, Tommy was a Client Services Leader overseeing some of GP’s most prized accounts on a global level. His responsibilities included overall client growth strategy, retention, and satisfaction. He represented all of GP Strategies’ major business lines including leadership, coaching, and engagement, digital transformation, outsourced services, and technology implementation solutions.

Before GP Strategies, Tommy spent several years with TTEC Digital (formerly rogenSI) where he led the sales team,  eventually becoming the regional Learning & Performance practice leader for North America. While managing the P&L and sales team he also led the largest global relationship for the firm (Deloitte Globally). During his time at TTEC, he focused on delivering blended learning solutions that incorporate technology and hands-on training. Before TTEC Digital, he spent several years dedicated to strength-based leadership disrupting the business landscape regarding performance management and employee engagement with thought leader Marcus Buckingham at The Marcus Buckingham Company / TMBC (now ADP).

Tommy has had the privilege of working with some of the most well-known global brands in professional services, retail, technology, and healthcare including Deloitte, Facebook, Microsoft, Bank of America, Novartis, Gap Inc., lululemon, and Intel. Several projects he led for Deloitte were Global GNPS, New Partner Pivot, NextGen Partner Program Deloitte China, Present to Win, the RPM project on performance management, and Unconscious Bias.

Tommy holds a BS in Health Sciences from Texas A&M University, and an MBA from Universidad del CEMA.

Drive hiring, retention, engagement, and DEI initiatives with Sounding Board’s leadership coaching solution

Sounding Board is the first leadership development platform that combines technology to scale with world-class coaches – empowering companies to solve urgent people-problems and gain a long-term talent advantage.

Join our coaching team

Our expert coaches combine top notch coaching, business acumen and organizational savvy to truly become your leadership “Sounding Board”. Sounding Board coaches are all industry certified and strongly vetted going through a 3 step qualification process and receiving ongoing supervision and development.

Lori Mazan

Co-Founder & CCO Sounding Board, Inc.
Lori Mazan is the Co-Founder and Chief Coaching Officer of Sounding Board, the preeminent global leadership development enterprise platform changing the face of leadership development through innovative technology for leaders at all levels of an organization. Lori is a seasoned executive coach who has guided hundreds of corporate executives through 1:1 coaching focused on business outcomes and developing critical leadership skills. Client companies advanced by Lori’s expertise include Fortune titans such as Chevron and Sprint as well as high growth and public companies like Intellikine, and Tapjoy, plus 10XGenomics, which became a public company in 2019 while top executives worked with Lori and the Sounding Board team.
Lori has spent the last 25 years coaching C-Suite executives to leadership excellence. Many of those public and private company CEO’s expressed that they would have liked this caliber of coaching earlier in their careers. Inspired by these experiences, Lori joined with Christine to launch Sounding Board as a feedback-driven, cloud-based leadership coaching platform that could maintain best-in-class leadership coaching while lowering costs to make it affordable and scalable for leaders at every level of their careers.
Before founding Sounding Board, Lori received her Masters’ in Adult Educational Psychology/Counseling from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelors’ in Psychology from the University of Virginia. Lori is an educator and has spent over 10 years as a professor of social psychology and group dynamics while acting as the interim Dean of Students at Holy Names University, She is certified by the industry’s gold standard, the Coaches Training Institute, and is a founding member of the Genentech Preferred Network of Coaches. Sounding Board is one of <3% of sole female founded startups receiving venture funding. In 2019 Sounding Board was selected as 1 of 7 startups (out of 100+ applicants) as part of SAP’s HR tech cohort, a group that represents the rising stars of the next-gen HR ecosystem.

Christine Tao

Co-Founder & CEO Sounding Board, Inc.
Christine Tao is the co-founder & CEO at Sounding Board, a Silicon Valley startup redefining how organizations are developing their leaders. Her extraordinarily rapid career growth to executive management in the media, mobile and tech sectors of Silicon Valley became her inspiration for founding Sounding Board. As she began to manage larger teams and be responsible for growing revenues, it became clear that she needed a “sounding board” to coach her on the development of her leadership skills. That’s where her Sounding Board co-founder, Lori Mazan came on the scene. A seasoned executive coach focused on leadership development, Lori coached Christine on real-world leadership skills that had a direct impact on business outcomes. Based on her positive and impactful experience with leadership development, Christine was driven to make leadership development coaching accessible to people at all levels of the organization.
Christine advises several startups, is a budding angel investor and is also a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow, a foundation dedicated to investing in the success and sustainability of women entrepreneurs.
Prior to co-founding Sounding Board, Christine was a Senior Vice President of Developer Relations at Tapjoy, a venture-backed, leading mobile advertising & publishing network. She led the growth of Tapjoy’s publisher advertising business from 0 to over $100 million in revenues in less than 3 years. Prior to that she led e-commerce partnerships and strategy at YouTube. Christine holds an MBA in Marketing & Operations from Wharton and a BA in Business Administration from UC Berkeley.