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Four Surefire Methods To Hone Your Leadership Skills

Tammy Heermann, senior consultant at Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions, shares her insights on how to elevate your influence as a leader.


The ability to influence others is arguably the most important leadership skill. It’s been said that leadership is influence. Whether we believe this to be true or not, we can agree that influence is an essential tool in a leader’s toolkit.

We also know that influence is often misunderstood – likened to negotiation or sales skills – the kind used to close deals.

But in today’s business environment, influence is less about “the close” and more about communicating in a compelling way to move an idea, person or project forward. As organizations become leaner, more global and more matrixed, many goals can only be achieved through collaboration and shared accountability.

To succeed, we must be able to present our perspectives persuasively, be open to the perspectives of others, and be skillful at finding common ground. Bottom line – the ability to influence has become a necessary skill set in achieving business results. In order to become more successful at influencing, leaders need to shift their mindset, enhance their skill set, and then take deliberate actions to become more savvy influencers.

ASSUMPTION #1: Good influencers are born

REALITY: Influence can be learned

Good influencers are made, not born. Believing this requires a mindset shift for some; we typically assume that to be a good influencer, you need to be extroverted or naturally at ease with asserting your point of view.

But influence can be an acquired skill. Like any new learning, honing the skill requires a deliberate focus, active practice and continual timely feedback.

ASSUMPTION #2: Successful influence is about building the best business case

REALITY: Influence has three levers, not just one

One of the reasons influencing feels so daunting is that often the individuals we are trying to move seem immovable.

Our usual response is to pile the data higher, and build the unassailable business case to which no one can say “no.” And yet, “status quos,” “sacred cows,” and “long tenured” viewpoints prevail, despite the power of our logic. Why? Because, although we love to think of ourselves as data-rational decision-makers, ultimately, we all make decisions based on emotion (this includes the men in the crowd!).

When we run into resistance from a key stakeholder, it is often in response to their own emotional reaction, rather than to the logic of the argument. Successful influencers know how to build arguments that access emotion, logic and credibility – three levers that make winning over stakeholders more possible. You can do the same by:

Presenting a case that is logical not only to yourself but to those being influenced;

Stirring emotions by understanding both the compelling opportunity and the potential fears (loss of power, control, resources, or pride) the new situation presents; and

Understanding that your perceived credibility is infinitely tied to the success of your influence attempt and factoring that into your strategy.

ASSUMPTION #3: My preferred influence style will work with others

REALITY: Adapting is key

The single biggest factor in successful influencing is the ability to clearly understand the stakeholders we are trying to influence, and adapting our approach to meet their needs. Most of us, however, will default to our own style because it is what we know and what we are comfortable with. Understanding your stakeholder means:

Knowing how they like to receive information. What do they need to hear about first – the vision, the process for arriving at your recommendation, or success stories about where this has worked in the past?

Understanding the type of proof they need. What will make them say yes – reams of supporting data, the voice of a credible  expert, or testimonials?

Appreciating how to connect with them. What level of energy and pace is required – slow and methodical from beginning to end, jumping around to keep pace with their train of thought, or letting them drive the conversation?

Reinforcing what compels them. What barriers do you need to overcome to move them forward – gaining commitment to an action plan, overcoming their long list of objections, or allowing them to achieve the outcome in their own way?

ASSUMPTION #4: Men are better influencers than women

REALITY: Women have unique strengths

Research suggests that women find it easier to put themselves in the shoes of others – we are more empathetic and more attuned to the emotional lever. During interactions, women also tend to pick up more of the dynamics at play – very helpful in the process of influencing. The caveat is that because women process more internal signals and may take more perspectives into account, the process of influence can take longer.

As a result, women can be perceived as not having the capacity to make quick decisions or move projects through swiftly. The successful woman influencer, therefore, plays to her strength in accessing the emotional lever while displaying the confidence and ability to adapt her approach to  whatever style is thrown at her. She also helps others recognize that sometimes slow is fast – rushing through the buy-in stage of an influence attempt may mean that the support you thought you had for your initiative falls apart as the  project moves toward execution, and success had been sacrificed for speed.

Regardless of level, sector or gender, we know that the ability to influence is a critical differentiator in high performing leaders. The good news is that evidence suggests that women leaders are uniquely positioned to be key influencers in today’s complex organizations.


Tammy Heermann is a senior consultant with the Leadership Solutions practice of Knightsbridge Human Capital Management. Tammy developed and is a faculty member of the Elevate Your Influence program – a joint Women of Influence and Knightsbridge initiative – which launched this year in Toronto and is set to launch nationally this fall.