Developing your influence and your impact at work: the next step in your senior leadership journey

In order to succeed and continue to grow as women leaders, we need to be heard. It can be hard for women to get a seat at the discussion table when we hold fewer positions of power, but it’s not just about getting a seat at the table – we need to be heard when we get there. According to Harvard Business Review’s Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers, “Integrating leadership into one’s core identity is particularly challenging for women, who must establish credibility in a culture that is deeply conflicted about whether, when, and how they should exercise authority.” So it’s no wonder that women leaders are experiencing a crisis of confidence, despite our skills being equal to those of men.?

This article will guide you through the three fundamental steps to navigating and thriving in the male-dominated world of leadership.?

Work on your Inner Leader

You can’t expect anyone else to perceive you as an influential leader unless you see yourself as one first. Shifting your mindset to that of a leader will take your performance to the next level.??

It’s time to tackle your self-doubt

It’s important to remember that we all feel like an imposter, sometimes. But the key is to stop seeking validation from others and instead, find it within ourselves. Feedback is a gift but not when it has the power to send you into a spiral of self-doubt. By quieting your negative self-talk and starting to trust in your own experience and judgement, you’ll feel more equipped to lead with certainty and confidence.?

Master your mindset to deal with the difficulties of leadership

Working on your tendency to worry will have a transformational impact on you as a leader. The more you become aware of unhelpful habits like perfectionism and overworking, the more you can progress in your leadership development, with ease and focus. We all have tough days, but it’s how we handle them that matters. In an ever-changing leadership landscape, prioritising your wellbeing is an increasingly important skill. Identifying and managing the signs of overwhelm in yourself and your team can help to avoid burnout. Difficult conversations are also a fundamental part of leadership and building your resilience helps you to respond objectively rather than react emotionally.?

Increase your Impact?

‘Impact’ is defined as a significant effect or influence on someone else. Once you see yourself as the leader that you are, it’s time to consider how you are perceived by others so that you can have influence over them and create impact. Stepping into your authority will help you to be seen as a leader by your peers, team and senior stakeholders so that you can create the impact you want in your workplace.?

Lead with confidence?

Being intentional about how others perceive you will help you step into your conscience as a leader. Leading with confidence means developing a leadership brand that is personal and unique to you. Rather than trying to be like other leaders you may be comparing yourself to. Are you clear about the impact and impression that you want to make on others? Do you know what you want others to say about you when you’re not in the room? Take time to reflect on what kind of leader you want to be and what your organisation needs from you. What does your unique combination of skills, experience and personality look like? From there you can create your own Personal Leadership Brand and use it as a tool to build your career.

Communicate with clarity?

Being interrupted in meetings, getting your contributions taken on by your male counterparts and repeated as their own or being put on the spot are frustrating but avoidable. The key is finding a communication style that is clear and confident but that feels authentic to you. When you use your language powerfully, you can increase your gravitas which in turn empowers you to lead with impact.?

Influence for Success

You’ve done the inner work and built a personal leadership brand that shifts the perception of you, as a leader. But now it’s time to step up and go beyond the foundations of influential leadership so that you can play your part in closing the influence gap and getting your voice heard. No matter how senior you are - your relationship with your manager, how you navigate internal politics and how you speak the language of senior stakeholders is pivotal to your continued growth as a leader.

Navigate internal politics with ease and authority?

Becoming a leader of influence means understanding the importance of building strategic relationships so that your team can succeed. It all starts with identifying who can support your team as well as proactively identifying risks - where tensions might arise in your team and with others. Because once you’ve got the skills to build your own personal brand and take control of how you’re perceived as a leader, you’ve got the skills to do the same for your team.?

Influence senior stakeholders

Successfully managing upwards is an essential tool in your senior leadership toolkit. The relationship you have with your manager is your most valuable asset - it can make or break you as a leader. In fact, the better term would be ‘partnership’ - where ideally you both enable each other to do the job well and demonstrate mutual support.?

Speaking the language of your senior stakeholders will help you get your voice heard and your value recognised. Remember: not everybody thinks or speaks in the same way, so the ability to adapt your communication style based on what matters most to that particular stakeholder allows you to powerfully communicate with influence and deliver impact.?

Your ability to influence and create impact at work will set you up for success when it comes to taking control of your career as a woman leader. You will always be more invested in your career than anyone else, so it’s important that you identify your unique strengths and prioritise your areas for development. My 3-month group coaching programme, Influence & Impact will help you to tackle your self-doubt, become brilliant in influencing and make the impact you deserve in your role as leader. If you’d like to follow in the path of hundreds of women who have transformed their careers since 2019 you can join September’s intimate cohort of 20 women leaders.