Growing your career in the military had more to do with performing at (or exceeding) standards and expectations, delivering on promises and living up to codes designated for you by military values. Your military career likely had less to do with how influential you were.
In the civilian sector, however, your ability to build influence will drive how, when and if others will believe in you, follow you, endorse and refer you, and support your vision.
"The word influence originates from the Latin word influere, meaning 'to flow or stream.'* Influence is understood to be how we "... sway a person, action, opinion, or course. Having influence means driving -- directly or indirectly -- the way something plays out."In other words, influence guides and drives the way something happens. We can influence someone's opinion of us and how much someone supports our vision, while we influence others (positively or negatively) in how much they believe in what we have to say.
Influence is not:
- Only about merit. Yes, you must be competent at what you do, but merit alone does not build your ability to sway others to your viewpoint or make others want to follow your vision or idea.
- About rank, authority and job title. We've seen numerous examples where someone with the "rank" who should have influence doesn't. Sure, people around them follow their instructions and do what they say, but these people are complying or being coerced, not influenced.
Building Influence
To have influence in your career, you'll need to:
1. Build credibility.
People are influenced by people they trust. The people you'll lead should believe that what you say and do is what you believe in. They need to know what you stand for (your personal core values) and see you "walk the talk." When you act, behave and show up in ways consistent with what you say you stand for, you earn trust and credibility.
2. Be visible.
It's virtually impossible to build influence if we can't see you. This doesn't mean you have to be in the most visible, highest rank in the organization, but holding onto your ideas and not sharing them, staying reluctant to be out front taking the lead, makes it very hard for others to understand, endorse and follow you.
3. Be service-oriented.
This is usually the easy one for veterans, who carry a service mindset. Being of service, having a servant's heart and coming at decisions from a place of service are important to having influence. When a goal, vision or strategy comes from self-serving motives, the impact is not lasting or shared. When service is about helping, empowering and caring for others, the influence is more sustainable and scalable.
4. Stay agile.
Over the course of your career, things will change. Often. Are you someone who digs their heels in and barks, "But this is how we always did things ...," or can you flex and adapt to new developments? People with influence are agile in how they approach life, evaluate obstacles and opportunities and how they yield their influence. They can see change coming and don't freeze or flee; they inquire, consider and, if needed, can be decisive.
5. Remain consistent.
Your ability to confidently sway others to see your viewpoint, to drive important conversations and speak your mind all require you to be consistent. We can't be perfect (we're human after all) but being consistent -- online and in person -- shows those you seek to influence that they can trust what you say and who you are, and they can be confident in how they'll feel when they follow you.
"Influence ... is a choice, not a state of being. You're not born into influence, and you don't get handed influence with a new business card or promotion ..." * Today, more than ever before, we need leaders who'll stand tall, bring a service mindset, are flexible and lead with compassion to grow organizations, communities and conversations. If not you, then who?
*From "The New Rules of Influence: How to Authentically Build Trust, Drive Change, and Make an Impact," by Lida Citroën © 2024
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