9 Influencing Strategies Used by the Most Successful Leaders

Empowerment
Making other feel valued by involving
them in decision-making send giving
them recognition The purpose of
Empowerment is to gain the commitment
of those who will carry out a plan.
Empowerment stimulates people to take
the initiative and keeps them motivated
DEFINATION
A manufacturing manger needs to get his team’s commitment for a
new product line He invite them to a meeting and ask for their ideas
on how to improve quality in the new production process.
When you use the Empowerment strategy other will see you:
• Getting other’ support by involving them in the decision making
process
• Adapting your own ideas by accepting suggestions from others
• Giving credit praise or recognition to others- in private and in
public
• Involving others in the process of planning how to implement an
approach
• Looking for solution that will benefit everyone involved
• Instilling confidence in the people who will implement ideas
• Asking question to get other to reach the desired conclusion
DEFINITION RECOGNIZING EMPOWERMENT
EXAMPLE
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How Can We Enhance The Usage Of Empowerment
• Create situations in which both parties can win by agreeing to a solution that satisfies both side
Find win-win
• Look for opportunities to praise thanks or give credit to others. Even if they do what is expected of them in their
role, they will appreciate being thanked for it.
Don’t take for granted what people do
• Instead tell the person what you need them to do . Then ask how they would approach it. Praise the good ideas
and if needed, add your own ideas.
Before telling someone how to do something, stop!
• These initiatives have shown that involving employees- by getting their ideas- keeps hem motivated and
contributed to productivity improvement
Read about quality improvement initiatives in organizations.
• Take the risk of letting them get involved in making decisions, Let other know you have confidence in them
Have confidence in others!

Identifying other people’s concerns and
positioning one’s ideas to address these
concerns. The purpose of Interpersonal
Awareness is to ensure that one’s ideas
address other people’s concerns, based
on a genuine understanding of those
concerns.
DEFINATION
A manager needs a team member to make a presentation to senior
management, but he seems reluctant to do so. She ask him how he
feels about it and finds that he is nervous. He is concerned about
the risk of being unable to answer their tough question. The
manager works with her team member to anticipate possible
questions and minimize the risk of embarrassment.
When you use the Interpersonal Awareness strategy other will see
you:
• Trying to understand the needs and concerns that are really
motivating the other person
• Listening to the other person in a way that conveys your genuine
concern
• Asking question to understand the other person’s position
• Anticipating how individual s will react to ideas, information or
presentations
• Calculating the most effective way to get an idea across to an
individual
• Tailoring your approach to the needs and concerns of the other
person
DEFINITION RECOGNIZING INTERPERSONAL AWARENESS
EXAMPLE
Interpersonal Awareness

What Can I do to increase my use of Interpersonal Awareness?
• Observe the messages that come across to you- verbal and nonverbal. Try to imagine what other person is
thinking and feeling.
Observe the other person’s behavior
• Try to imagine the concerns that the other person wants to address. Think about the values they may have.
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes
• Test out your understanding of what the other person is saying, thinking of feeling. State your view and ask them
how accurate your understanding is.
Have you understood the messages?
• Get some practice through formal courses: listening skills, communication skills, etc.
Develop your interpersonal skills

Negotiating is a mutually satisfactory
outcomes exchanging favours, sharing
resource, making concessions the
purpose of negotiating is to meet the
needs of everyone involved. It involved
working out what others want, and what
you are prepared to give, and then
striking a deal.
DEFINATION
A
A Supplier is trying to make an important sale with a new customer.
They offer a good discount if the buyer commit to a large, regular
order.
When you use the Negotiating strategy other will see you:
• Offering to reward people if they will do what you want
• Offering to do something for the other person, in return for that
person's support
• Reminding people of what you have done for them in the past
• Asking for more than you expect to get
• Looking for solution that will benefit everyone involved
• Suggesting mutual compromises when you encounter resistance
DEFINITION RECOGNIZING NEGOTIATING
EXAMPLE
Negotiating

What Can I do to increase my use of Negotiating?
• Think about what they may be willing- and not willing- to give up in order to reach an agreement.
Try to understand the other person’s position
• What are you willing and not willing to give up? What are you able to offer that the other person might want or
need?
Think about your position
• Try different bargaining approaches in a low-risk situation, where losing you side of the bargain doesn’t matter
too much
Practice in a safe situation
• Get some practice through formal courses, e.g. negotiating skills program.
Develop your confidence

Taking the time to get to know others
personally; to maintain friendly
communication so that they will be inclined
to support your ideas in the future the
purpose of networking Building is to
maintain potentially useful relationship
through friendly communication this takes
time- it’s about securing support in the long
term
DEFINATION
An Accountant and her husband spend time socializing with an
important client at the golf club at weekends, and invest time in
developing a friendship.
When you use the Networking strategy other will see you:
• Establishing a good rapport with others
• Maintaining a wide network of contacts
• Making an effort to become friends with business associates, fellow
professionals and colleagues
• Socializing with people you may want to influence
• Working to maintain constructive relationship with those people at
work that you may need to influence
• Voluntarily going out of your way to help others
• Periodically telephoning or writing to business contacts you don’t see
on a regular basis.
DEFINITION RECOGNIZING NETWORKING
EXAMPLE
Networking

What Can I do to increase my use of Networking?
• Ask about the other person’s background, their interest , their values, what gives them a buzz. People love it when
someone else shows an interest in them
Taking Interest
• Think about what you and the other person have in common. Do you have shared interest or circumstances that can
help you initiate and maintain a relationship?
Find common ground
• Reflect on network that are working well for you. Why do they work? What can you learn from them and apply to new
relationships?
Make the most of existing network

You feel you’re using Networking, but it’s just not working. Think
about the following:
Stakeholder Awareness is likely
to work better.
Are you trying to influence
people above you in the
organization
Are you trying to influence a
group of people?
someone you are unfamiliar
with?
If so, a number of other
strategies are likely to work
better, depending upon the
situation: Stakeholder
Awareness, Shared Vision or
Impact and influence
networking is more effective
on a one-to-one basis.
You may need to start with
Interpersonal Awareness. This
will help you initiate a sound,
before moving on to using
Networking, Shared Vision or
Stakeholder Awareness.

• Where there are key people in the organization who can
influence a decision favorably or unfavorably
• With colleagues at your level and above
• When it is necessary to influence a number of people from
different parts of a large organization
• When the organization’s formal structure does not reflect the
real patterns of influence within the organization
• In highly politicized organizations.
• When the person you want to influence is not acting as a
member of the organization
• When the person you want to influence does not have to
consider the reactions of others within the organization
• When the decision will actually be based on objective criteria
such as cost
THIS STRATEGY IS MOST EFFECTIVE THIS STRATEGY IS LEAST EFFECTIVE
Most and least effective usage of this strategy

You feel you’re using Stakeholder Awareness, but it’s just not
working. Think about the following:
situation: Empowerment,
Common Vision Bargaining or
Coercion
people at your level or
below in the organization?
an individual?
with?
Organizational Awareness is
just the start it will help you
read a group and gain insight
into who to influence- and
how you can them move on to
using other strategies like
interpersonal Awareness of
relationship building
If so, it may need to start with
interpersonal awareness to
help you initiate a sound
relationship, or Impact
Management to catch their
interest. Then you might move
on to using Stakeholder
Awareness, Common Vision or
Relationship Building

• When managing a team with colleagues at your level and below
• When you have high personal Credibility- people ant to work
with you for the organization
• When your position gives you the authority to seek support in
this way
• When the organization’s goal and values are about to change in
unpredictable ways
• With people above you in the organization
• When you lack credibility – in the eyes of the people you are
trying to influence
• When the people you are trying to influence are cynical about
the organization

You feel you’re using Shared Vision, but it’s just not working.
Think about the following:
Maybe other strategies will
work better, depending upon
the situation try Organizational
Awareness, Logical Persuasion,
Impact Management or
Interpersonal Awareness
people above you in the
organization?
an individual?
with?
Shared Vision or Relationship
Building are likely to work
better. Common Vision is more
effective with groups.
If so, you may need to start
with Interpersonal Awareness
to help you initiate a sound
relationship, or Impact
Management, to catch their
interest. Then you might move
on to using Common Vision,
Organizational Awareness of
Relationship Building.

• When it is important to make very strong first impression
• When dealing with people you don’t know very well
• When creating or delivery presentation
• When dealing with groups
• When the decision to support an idea will be based on rigorous,
quantitative or logical criteria
• When trying to influence people you know very well
• when it is important to identify the other person’s specific
concerns

You feel you’re using Impact And Influence, but it’s just not
A number of other strategies
are likely to work better,
depending upon the situation
Interpersonal Awareness or
Relationship Building. Impact
Management is more effective
with groups
an individual?
someone you are already
familiar with?
Are you trying to influence a
decision that is usually taken
on the basis of rigorus,
logical criteria?
If so, they may know you too
well for Impact and Influence
to catch their interest
Common Vision, Organization
Awareness or Relationship
Building is more likely to be
engaging for them
Impact and Influence is
unlikely to help you win you
argument, unless you back it
up with Logical Persuasion.

• With people who rely on logic and reason, for example engineers
and scientists
• When the people you are trying to influence is systematically
comparing several products, ideas or alternatives.
• When the people whose support you seek are strongly
influenced by personal relationships, rather than logic
• When personal goals, hopes or concerns affect people reasoning
• When the other person is concerned with how ideas are
presented- not just their content
• When the decision is affected by political factors within the
organization

You feel you’re using Analytical Reasoning, but it’s just not
If decision in your organization
are affected by political factors,
relationships or emotional
engagement, then
Organizational Awareness,
Relationship Building, Impact
Management or
Empowerment are mobile
likely to be effective.
Have you assumed that the
person, or people you are
trying to influence make
decisions on the basis of
rigorous, analytic criteria?
Have you assumed that
those you are trying to
influence are capable of
understanding the data and
following your argument?
Have you assumed that
those you are trying to
influence are interested and
enthusiastic about your
argument?
If they are not, then
Interpersonal Awareness or
Common vision are more likely
to be effective.
If they are not, then
bargaining- or even coercion-
is more likely to be effective.

• When there is an emergency or crisis
• To get short term compliance from a team member who had
performance problems
• With colleagues below your level who are must less
knowledgeable and just need to be told
• When threats and pressure are expected methods of control
within the organization
• When other influence strategies have been tried and have failed
• When long term support is needed
• When other need to understand or agree with the reasons for
your actions or decisions
• When used with colleagues at your level or above
• When used with others who have high levels of knowledge and
expertise
• When threats and pressure are not accepted ways of getting
things done in organization
• When it is important to maintain a positive relationship with the
other person

You feel you’re using Coercion, but it’s just not working. Think
about the following:
situation : Organizational
Awareness, Logical , Impact
Management or Interpersonal
Awareness.
an individual?
Could the person or people
you are trying to influence
be more capable than you
have assumed?
Have you written off all
hopes of trust and rapport
with the person or people
you want to influence?
If not, will Logical Persuasion
engage their thinking better?
Will empowerment stimulate
their motivation and initiative?
Will Common Vision secure
their contribution and
commitment?
If not, then Interpersonal
Awareness or Relationship
Building may help to reinstate
a more positive relationship.

The 7 things you must do regularly to become a better influencer
What does each influence strategy look like? It describe what you can actually do to use each strategy. The first
step is to be aware of these behaviors. The next is to give them a try!
And remember…
Do your homework
Ask a friend
Practice makes perfect
Watch others work
Seek feedback again in
six months time
Make a commitment
Try new behaviors in low-risk situations- until you are comfortable using them.
Let someone you trust know that you are trying a particular strategy. Ask for feedback on how well you are
doing and how you can improve
Observe the ways in which other people influence- verbally, non-verbally, in writing, through other media.
Isolate specific behavior they use and try them yourself.
Go through your diary and decide specific dates for reviewing your progress. Decide what to have practiced or
achieved by each date
See how you’re doing with the strategies you want to use more
No influence strategy is inherently good or bad. The key to success is knowing when to use strategy how and
with whom.

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