Rise Above the Fray: Empowering Strategies for Influential Leadership

Have you ever found yourself struggling to influence your team and the leaders above you? Feeling like your message just isn’t getting across? Or you’re not getting the help and resources you need? You're not alone. It's a frequent challenge in middle management leadership roles.

But what if I told you there are three principles that always work to be an effective influencer at work?

Why is this important?

To get anything done, you need to get people on your side.

You need them to understand your goals, vision, and purpose.

You need them to see the benefits of the result (big or small).

Your ability to influence the decisions of your manager and the actions of your team are what create more opportunities for impact and visibility in your crucial role as a middle manager.

The Power of Influence

Influence is a vital element of leadership. It's the driving force that persuades your team to embrace your vision, follow you, and propel the company forward.

"Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another." ~ John C. Maxwell

No matter how much you gamify work performance expectations, gather data gather in engagement surveys, leverage online platforms or other digital forms of tracking and evaluating your team, top performance and forward movement comes down to people influencing people.

Influence is about inspiring others to join you in achieving shared goals.

There’s nothing more inspiring and motivating than a team achieving results together because it always creates positive motivation and momentum.

If influence is the power behind getting things done, what can you do to elevate your ability to influence others? There are three easy to implement principles.

Three Key Principles to Influence ::

1) Ignite enthusiasm.

Genuine enthusiasm is infectious. When you're passionate about your goals, your team will naturally want to join you in accomplishing them.

How do you do it? Lead by example.

Embody the behaviors and attitudes you expect from your team.

By demonstrating a strong work ethic, positive attitude, and dedication to team and company goals, you’ll inspire your people to follow your lead and give their best effort. Want people who are enthusiastic and will walk through walls for you?

Be the shining example of it.

2) Foster a sense of purpose.

A compelling vision provides your team with a sense of purpose. They'll feel more engaged when they grasp how their role contributes to the grand scheme.

Articulating a vivid image of the anticipated future and revealing everyone's role in making it happen can dramatically enhance team morale, creativity, collaboration, and productivity.

When you share your vision, be detailed.

Help them (your people and your manager) grasp what success looks like and they will come along with you.

3) Offer meaningful recognition.

Everyone craves acknowledgment. Recognizing your team's efforts elevates their morale because they know you value their contribution.

The best way to offer recognition that leads to influence?

Celebrate team achievements.

When you enthusiastically acknowledge triumphs with your team, it not only allows them to rejoice together, but also inspires them to be passionate about their own and each other’s accomplishments.

Once in a blue moon won't do it, though.

Make celebrations a ritual everyone looks forward to by acknowledging the big and little contributions being made by individuals and the team.

Don't forget to give your manager visibility to your team's successes.

When they see what you are accomplishing through your team, you are increasing their trust in you, leading to a higher degree of your ability to influence them.

Now Go Implement!

Implementing these three principles in your leadership role as a middle manager will revolutionize your influence.

You're creating open, trusting relationships.

You won't have to convince anyone of anything because people are influenced by people they know, like and trust.

Hmm. Sounds like marketing :)

That's exactly what it is.

Influence is the transfer of belief and enthusiasm that's so strong, you're changing hearts and minds. When they believe, you can influence.

Influence is also the easy and stress-free way to get your team and the leaders above you on board with your ideas.

The puzzle pieces (ideas, actions, and resources) fall into place because everyone knows what the picture looks like.

Here's to more influential leadership!

Always for you,

Elissa

I help middle managers develop everyday leadership and people management skills. You can go from feeling defeated and giving up to being a confident and resilient leader, capable of guiding your team through any challenge.

Get the 1:1 help you need to be a middle manager who creates amazing results through a team that cares about doing a great job.

Applications are now being accepted.

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