Leading Through Influence

In today’s work environment, leadership in peer relationships is becoming increasingly important.

As the guidance of team efforts tends to shift to whomever has the needed information or expertise, more people in the organization must be able to lead through influence, rather than relying on the control (or at least the illusion of control) that title or position implies.

There are many kinds of power a person can possess, but only one (ascribed power) is willingly bestowed by others. This is the kind of power you have when the people around you grant you authority and influence over them because you inspire them to do so. As one executive put it: “Leadership is not about job title. It isn’t even a matter of style. At the core, it comes down to two simple questions: What kind of person are you? And are those personal qualities inspiring to others?”

Effective leaders at all levels of the organization, whose sphere of influence is greater than their sphere of control, have shifted attitudes and behaviors from one column to the other:

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to inspire others is to be a role model and lead by example: state and live your values. Gandhi once said that you must become the change you want to see in the world. Moving from control to influence may be as simple - and as difficult - as that.