As a leader, one of the best attributes you can have is the ability to influence those you lead. It’s difficult to influence people. You have to know the right techniques so that you can use them to your advantage. Learning how to influence people will set you miles ahead on the path to executive leadership.
In fact, it is safe to say that there is no leadership where influence does not exist. If you want to lead people effectively, you first have to be able to influence them. Let’s look at some tips that can help you to be a great influencer.
Give people what they want.
You can not influence people if you don’t give them exactly what they want. It is important to understand that no matter what you want, people will always want what they want. If you are trying to influence a group of people forget about yourself and focus on them.
When your focus is on their needs, they will start viewing you as a great person. They will also love you and give you a lot of respect. When this happens, it will be easier to get them to do what you want. You just have to understand that they come first and you come last.
Make others feel important.
If people feel like they are important to you, they will do anything for you. This is one of the most important aspects of influencing others. There is an inborn need for everything to feel important, and as a leadership coach, you must understand this. If you want to feel important, then everyone else wants to feel like you. You should therefore make others feel important if you want them to stay in your hands.
Empower others.
The other crucial ingredient to being an influential person is to empower others. For people to feel empowered, they need motivation. This doesn’t require a lot of speaking, instead, you should be hands on. People often forget what you say, but they rarely forget what you do. If you do things that make people feel powerful and motivated, they will value you as a leader. A lot of successful and influential people have mastered the art of empowering others.
Respect other people’s opinions.
It’s easy for a leader to belittle the efforts and opinions of others if they are not careful. As a leader, you should never shoot down what other people suggest. Understand that people have different beliefs and just because someone has different views to yours, it doesn’t mean that they are wrong.
When someone tells you something that you feel isn’t true, instead of shutting them down, you can inform them you respect what they think, but you have different views about whatever you will be talking about. Do this without offending their self-esteem and they will respect you as a leader and won’t view you as being bossy or controlling. That way, they will feel as if they are willingly complying with what you want them to do.
Show sympathy.
People make mistakes, and as a leader, that should give you a chance to show some empathy. Your job as a leader should be to encourage people to learn from their mistakes and become better. Also, make it known to them you also make mistakes, and they are supposed to help them learn and grow.
Treating others this way will make them understand what they do wrong without hurting them. They will feel encouraged and respected too.
Bottomline
If you want to change the lives of people, you need to be able to influence them. People will easily respect you and view you as an authoritative person if they feel influenced. It is therefore crucial that on your path to being an outstanding leader, you also learn the art of influence.