October, November, this is usually the season to think about strategic goals. As a leader, one of your primary tasks is to contribute and help achieving organizational goals. Can you manage this by yourself? Of course not. You need the help of others, and if you may have good ideas, you can't force people to embrace them. This is where influencing comes in.
What is influence? Or rather what is it not? Influence is neither overpowering, nor bullying, nor pushing, nor coercing to get what you want. This is not persuasion quite either. Influence is affecting change without using authority, persuasion is communication that uses logic and evidence.
Persuasion means showing how the achievement of what you want will also help others achieve something they want. In this way, the purpose, goal, or objective becomes a common one.
What is important is that exchanges based on influence and persuasion are characterized by equality, caring and respect.
Now, your influence is also based on your credibility, which is derived from focus, flexibility, fairness, accountability, approachability, and honesty. When others know that you exhibit these attributes and apply them consistently, you build your credibility.
One question that I will finish these few lines with is as follows: Is influence more important than power?
