Client Question: “I would like to be a better influencer. What are the characteristics of good influencers?”
Can you think of anyone that you work with who is good at influencing? What is it about them that makes them good at it? There are some characteristics that are pretty common across all of the people who are considered strong influencers. Here are a few of them:
Credibility
They are people that took risks, had many experiences and demonstrated past successes to build their credibility
Relationships
They have built strong relationships and they know how to leverage those relationships to get things done or make decisions
Communicate with Confidence
They are able to clearly articulate the features, benefits and make recommendations
Smart
They are very knowledgeable about how things work, prepared for conversations and can think on their feet
Capability
They are recognized for their capabilities to deliver and know how to motivate others as well
How would you assess yourself against this list? Are there any additional characteristics that you would add? What are some of the things that you would like to work on? You may not have all of these in place yet, but you probably have more than you are giving yourself credit for. It will take time, but now you know what outcomes you are looking for, so you can build an action plan to reach them. You can also meet with some strong influencers in your organization and ask them to mentor you on how they have done it so well. Take these lessons and apply them for future conversations. Being seen as a good influencer is a way to gain agreement, make decisions and get things done. Every leader needs to leverage influence at different times, so it is good to start building those skills now. Influencing is a skill that can really differentiate you as a leader and is one that you will leverage even more as you climb the ladder.
Here are some additional blog articles on influencing that may be helpful to you as well: