Complete Guide to Building Leadership Influence

Building Leadership Influence

Building leadership influence has become more important than your job title or position in the company hierarchy. Whether you manage a small team or lead a large organization, your ability to influence others directly impacts your success and the success of your people.

The business environment has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Organizations have become flatter, more global, and more diverse. Matrix structures are now common, and millennials plus Gen Z workers make up more than half the workforce. These employees want emotional connections with their managers and meaningful work experiences.

TLDR: Complete Guide to Building Leadership Influence

• Influence > Title: Leadership today is about how well you connect, not just your job title or authority.

• Barriers to Influence: Narcissism, poor relationships, bad interactions, and lack of self-awareness weaken leadership credibility.

• Start with Self-Assessment: Use 360-degree feedback and tools like personality assessments to understand how others see you.

• Be Overprepared: Consistent preparation and documenting achievements build influence and credibility.

• Build Relationships at Every Level: Serve others and the organization, not just your own image.

• Handle Tough Situations Gracefully: Lead across age and power dynamics with empathy and clarity.

• Overcome External Limits: Focus on what you can control, influence, or must accept within your organization.

• Take Action: Leadership influence is built over time through trust, value, and intentional effort—not authority alone.

Why Leadership Influence Matters More Than Position

You can be amazing at your job, but if nobody knows about your contributions, you miss opportunities for advancement and impact. On the flip side, if you understand how to build influence as a leader, it gives you a cushion when you need to catch up in other areas.

The old approach of "do this because I'm the boss" simply doesn't work anymore. Modern employees, especially younger generations, respond better to leaders who can influence through connection rather than command through authority.

What Prevents You From Building Leadership Influence

Several barriers can stop you from developing the influence you need as a leader:

• Being narcissistic - Making everything about yourself instead of serving your organization and looking after others

• Poor relationship building - Not building equity with your team or earning trust through consistent actions

• Damaging interactions - Even one bad experience can hurt your reputation for months or years

• Lack of self-awareness - Not understanding how others perceive your leadership style

  
  

Dr. Jeff Kaplan, an executive leadership coach, explains: "You might think being nice 99% of the time is enough, but that one moment when you acted poorly is what people will remember."

Making people upset has a long tail effect that requires immediate damage control to prevent lasting influence problems.

How to Build Influence as a Leader Through Self-Assessment

Start building your influence by gathering data about your current standing. Follow these steps:

1. Get 360-degree feedback to understand how others really see you

2. Consider hiring a coach to help interpret results and create an action plan

3. Complete personality assessments like the Hogan for deeper self-awareness

4. Identify gaps between your self-perception and how others experience your leadership

   
   

Remember, people are already thinking about your leadership style and effectiveness. Now you get to know what they're thinking so you can influence how they see you.

The Power of Preparation and Value Delivery

One of the most effective ways to build influence involves coming prepared to every meeting and interaction. Create a personal 30, 60, and 90-day plan each quarter that aligns with company goals. Track your accomplishments weekly in a simple document or spreadsheet.

When you walk into meetings, you can share what you worked on, problems you solved, and solutions you developed. This documentation also helps during annual reviews because you have concrete examples of your contributions.

I experienced this preparation power firsthand when interviewing Damian Flem, one of the best engineers I ever hired. His preparation included:

• Multiple printed copies of his resume (even though we had digital copies)

• Professional attire that showed he took the opportunity seriously

• Phone on mute to avoid distractions during our conversation

• Trial account creation with our product, complete with improvement suggestions

• Competitor analysis from trial accounts he created with other companies

This hour of preparation gave him incredible influence in the interview. We hired him immediately because his preparation demonstrated genuine interest and valuable thinking.

Building Relationships Across All Organizational Levels

Strong relationships at every level of your organization form the foundation of lasting influence. Some leaders make the mistake of only focusing on people they consider most important, but organizational dynamics can change quickly.

Help others solve their problems and deliver consistent value. This creates equity that makes people more willing to help you when needed. Focus on serving the organization rather than promoting yourself.

"The purpose should always be to serve the organization," notes Kaplan. "That engineer candidate was serving both your needs and the organization's needs through his thorough preparation."

When you're overprepared for meetings, think about the stakeholders who will attend. Consider their stated agendas and hidden priorities. Where might they be stuck? How can you add unexpected value? Having extra insights ready (without forcing them into conversations) positions you as a valuable resource.

Managing Difficult Leadership Situations

Learning how to build influence as a leader includes handling challenging situations like managing employees who are older than you. This scenario requires particular finesse, especially if cultural factors make age-based authority important.

The key is focusing on roles rather than hierarchy. You're both stewards in your respective positions. Leverage their experience and wisdom while being clear about expectations. Have honest conversations about any concerns they might have reporting to someone younger.

When dealing with employees who spin their wheels without making progress, address the situation directly. This includes older employees approaching retirement who may be quietly disengaging from their work.

One powerful approach involves acknowledging their past contributions before addressing current performance gaps. Kaplan suggests asking: "What legacy do you want to leave behind? You've accomplished so much, but right now your legacy will be that of an underperformer who made management difficult."

Give them time to think about this question rather than demanding an immediate answer. This approach often motivates people to recommit to higher performance standards.

Overcoming Organizational Barriers to Influence

Sometimes external factors limit your ability to build influence as a leader. Common barriers include:

• Governance structures that slow decision-making

• Industry changes that create uncertainty

• Market pressures that force difficult choices

• Organizational transformations that shift priorities

The healthcare industry provides a good example. Consolidation pressures mean many health systems must make difficult decisions that may not feel like they serve employees or customers best. These situations create stress that impacts everyone's ability to influence outcomes.

When facing these constraints, focus on three key areas:

1. What you can control - Direct your energy toward areas where you have full authority

2. What you can influence - Identify relationships and situations where you can make a positive impact

3. What you must accept - Recognize factors completely outside your influence, like market conditions

Start Building Your Leadership Influence Today

Your influence as a leader depends more on your actions and relationships than your title or position. Begin by getting feedback about how others perceive you currently. Then focus on serving your organization, building genuine relationships, and delivering consistent value.

Prepare thoroughly for every interaction. Help others succeed. Address performance issues directly but compassionately. Most importantly, remember that building influence takes time and consistent effort.

The investment you make in developing your leadership influence pays dividends throughout your career. In a business environment where collaboration and emotional connection matter more than positional authority, your ability to influence others becomes your most valuable leadership skill.