The Key to Successful Leadership is Influence

There is widespread consensus that influence is a, if not the, key component to successful leadership.  If leaders do not have influence, they cannot lead and, as John C. Maxwell so accurately states, the leader with no followers is merely going for a walk.  I have discussed this previously in a number of different posts.  I do not intend to repeat that conversation here and beat the proverbial dead horse.

The questions should be asked, though, if leadership requires and is influence, how does one gain that influence?  That is the essential question that I will unpack here.

To gain influence, the leader must achieve a number of things.  

First, they must build relationships.  I have discussed this in depth in my earlier discussions on Brady and Woodward's Trilateral Leadership Ledger.  Relationships are essential to effective leadership and leaders cannot have influence without a positive relationship with the people with whom they work.  Building relationships takes time and effort and can be a difficult process.  It is; however, worth it in the end as positive relationship create a healthy work environment where people want to be and want to contribute.

Second, they must build trust.  Stephen M.R. Covey wrote a whole book on this (Speed of Trust) in which he discusses at length the factor of trust.  Trust covers so many facets when discussing effective leadership.  I have discussed this too in relationship to character when discussing the TLL. It weighs in heavily when discussing relationship building, and it is a key component of loyalty, which is vital to influence.

Finally (for this conversation only... there is so much more) to gain influence you need to be nice.  That may seem a bit Pollyanna and too touchy-feely for some people, but think about it.  Think about the people whom you allow to have influence over you.  Are they mean or mean spirited?  Are they angry all the time?  Are they hot headed and unpredictable?  Probably not.  I know the people whom I allow to have influence over me (allowing influence is a choice... that is separate discussion) are none of the above.  They are nice people.  They are relatable and deeply care about others and will put the needs and successes of others ahead of their own.  They make you want to be around them!

Authority does none of the above.  While it can be argued that position power and authority yield a great deal of influence, I would argue that it is not, in fact, influence but rather manipulation.  People are manipulated by fear of the negative consequences and fear of retaliation from the authority figure if they do not comply with the wishes and demands of the person in the position.  At best, this only garners short term results that do not create a positive lasting effect.  This in not influence!

Successful leadership comes from influence which comes from relationships, trust, and just being nice to people.  As the old proverb states, you can catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar!