The ability to influence is a critical leadership skill, with or without authority. But in my work with high-potential female leaders, I have noticed a pattern. Many believe that formal authority through title or position is the sole source of influence. Positional power (I am the boss, and the more senior I am, the more I have) is an important source of influence, but it’s not the only source.
The problem with this mindset is that it holds many women back from engaging in behaviors that would give them more influence, which could lead to the formal positional power they seek.
I have seen women hold back from speaking up, asserting a point of view, leading a conversation, or sharing an idea when more senior people are in the conversation. They are often surprised when they receive feedback that they are quiet, invisible, or not stepping up.
What is it with our hang-up with hierarchy? Effectively we are saying that only those in charge have the right to speak up. When I say it that way, it sounds ridiculous.
Does your hang-up with hierarchy prevent you from speaking up, sharing your insights, or leading the way when that’s precisely what you’re expected to do? Do you have a fear of putting yourself forward in front of authority? If so, try leveraging other sources of influence first. Build them up and show them off. The more you have, the larger the chance you will achieve the positional influence you seek.
Expertise and knowledge. This obvious source of influence is often underused for fear of overstepping bounds. Do you have deep expertise or knowledge of the topic at hand? You may be relied on for your qualifications, accomplishments, or education. One woman I coached realized she frequently knew more than those speaking and had finally had enough of being undermined. She worked on bringing her knowledge to the conversation, which subsequently made others defer to her more often. This fed her confidence to continue speaking up, upping her influence with customers and higher-ups.
Results and experience. This influence source is about leveraging your track record of results or experience in tackling problems or projects. How can you become a go-to or an invaluable resource on vexing issues? This is exactly what one woman realized was her superpower. She loved to take charge of the messiest projects. It didn’t matter what the subject was; she had the skills to create a strategy, mobilize a team and get stakeholders onside. She was a master change manager. This put her in arenas with seasoned people on important initiatives. What can you harness from your track record and experience more fully?
Information or insight. This source of influence comes from having information about what is happening inside, across, or outside the organization. Do you know things quicker than most, or because you connect the dots and synthesize information into meaningful insights? Learn from the woman who continually found new ways to tackle old problems. She applied insights from her legal background and kept on top of information changes to constantly offer new ways for her stakeholders to save money. She built a brand of innovative thinking which became a cornerstone of her promotion story.
Network and relationships. Having influence here is about who you know and how you can connect others to people, profit, or information. A woman I coached had a huge epiphany when she realized she had a better network than her seasoned leaders. She undervalued her deep connections and access to C-Suite potential customers, which was a key ingredient to moving up the ranks.
People and leadership. This source of influence is about your impact on people because of your leadership skills. Are you seen as a critical change agent or role model that others listen to? One coachee expressed her pride in easily attracting and developing team members. People wanted to work with and for her, while others struggled to maintain functioning teams. It is critical to have the team you need so you can focus on strategic initiatives that will propel you and the organization forward. Can you become known as someone people want to hitch their wagon to?
The women in these examples each realized they needed to leverage different forms of influence to be promoted and ultimately achieve the positional power they sought. To do that, they had to get over their hang-up with hierarchy. They had not to be afraid of the people in power positions and let their influence sources shine through.
Ask yourself…
Which sources of influence do you rely on most often and why? Could you over-rely on this source at the expense of developing others? Which other sources of influence would you benefit from? Understand which ones you have, which you need to build, and when to leverage each.