Invaluable Influence Tactics For Leaders

Use these influence tactics to guide and lead others to achieve their best at work.

Influence Tactic 1: Create A Bright Future

People want a clear, simple-to-understand 'promised land' to which they can travel. The most effective way is to do this by painting a promising picture of the future. Certainly you can do it through fear, but it is nowhere near as empowering. Find out what their 'hot buttons' are. For most people it is things like: the sense of making a difference, having control and mastery over their destiny, being involved in something bigger, feeling affiliated with others, feeling like they matter. You will irresistibly pull them forward when you link these types of hot-buttons to whatever it is you are presenting.

Influence Tactic 2: Establish a Sense of Urgency

People need to have ignited within them a fire to move away from their current comfort zone. Present them with data and facts that ignite them emotionally that they need to get active on whatever it is you are presenting to them.

Influence Tactic 3: Offer Rewards for Going Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.

This is one of the oldest and most effective means to influence people. Certainly it will get changes in behavior - but the minute the reward is gone you will probably find an immediate return to the old way of doing things. You and they will be far better served if you can appeal to their higher order of values, so that they will be inspired to the action rather than feeling manipulated.

Influence Tactic 4: Be Known For Delivering Results

Your capability to deliver results is paramount to people who are choosing whether or not to follow you. People will look to your previous performance to assess how much they can trust that what you are suggesting now will come to fruition. Build your reputation such that when you say you are going to do something, people can rely that it is a done deal.

Influence Tactic 5: Be Passionate

Nothing is more magnetic than a person who is filled with passion and enthusiasm. Passion comes from a combination of belief, enthusiasm and emotion. Enthusiasm is a great force and it is contagious. People want to be connected to positive people.

Having an expectation that whatever it is you want will come to fruition in a way that serves the greater good, will enable you to walk with a spring in your step and speak with conviction. Others will be drawn to you and your cause.

Influence Tactic 6: Love and Care for Your People

The number one need of all people is to be accepted and appreciated (another way of saying loved). And as a leader you can best meet this need by ensuring that people feel that YOU hear, understand, appreciate and include them. You do this by regularly being out there with your people in their world, talking with them. Receiving information from them: understanding their major obstacles and problems.

And at the same time giving them information, helping them to see things in a new light or maybe understand more fully the reasons for a decision, or whatever is topical in your business right now. Importantly it is about you being out there with people and connecting at a real level, not just superficial, or tick I'm doing this because that is what good leaders do.

Out of the acorn can grow the largest of trees. From your daily interactions with others, the more able you are to lead others into being a flexible, dynamic group.

Don't think you've got time for influence? If you want success you can't afford to not have have the time.