Influence & Leadership Jeanne Michalski, Ph.D.

Influence is the ability to get others to freely endorse or embrace your ideas and initiatives

Zones of Influence Direct Control Indirect Control No Influence

Steps to Influencing Clarify your goals and priorities Identify stakeholders in the situation that you need to influence Analyze your “base of influencing” with each stakeholder Identify the strategy to be used

Identify Stakeholders ChampionResistor Silent BoosterAvoider SupportersBlockers Active Passive

Influence Strategies Inspiration - making a request or proposal that inspires enthusiasm by appealing to a target’s values, ideals, and aspirations, or increasing the target’s confidence that he or she can do the requested task. Consultation – seeking a target’s participation in planning a strategy, activity, or change for which the target’s support and assistance are desired, or modifying a proposal to deal with the target’s concerns and suggestions.

Influence Strategies Rational Persuasion - Using logical arguments and factual evidence to persuade a target that a proposal or request is worthwhile. Ingratiation – Attempting to put a target in a good mood or to think favorably or you before making a request. Personal Appeal – Appealing to the target’s feelings of loyalty and friendship to influence the target to do something unusual or extra as a special favor.

Influence Strategies Exchange – Influencing a target to do something in exchange for a special favor or benefit. Pressure – Using demands, threats, frequent checking, or persistent reminders in an attempt to influence a target to carry out a request.

Influence Strategies Legitimizing – Seeking to establish the legitimacy of a request by claiming the authority to make it or by verifying that it is consistent with organizational policies, rules or traditions. Coalition – Enlisting the aid or endorsement of other people to influence target to do what you want.

Effectiveness of Influence Strategies SourceResistanceComplianceCommitment Inspiration0%10%90% Consultation18%27%55% Rational Persuasion 47%30%3% Ingratiation41%28%31% Personal Appeal25%33%41% Exchange24%41%3% Pressure56%41%0% Legitimating44%56%0% Coalition53%44%3% Consequences for Managers of Using Single Influence Tactics, Academy of Management Journal, 1992

THE WORK OF LEADERSHIP

Assignment – Groups of 6 How can a leader establish a context for change or create one? What are some of the conflicts that organizations deal with that are reflected in competing or seemingly competing values, norms or goals and how can a leader deal with them? Discuss the leaders roles in letting an organization fell pressure and stress vs. trying to minimize or eliminate it? Is this always appropriate? How do leaders get conflict out in the open without losing trust of employees? How do leaders get workers to take responsibility for actions and decisions instead of waiting to be told what to do or just brining the problem to the leader? Discuss leadership as learning – what does this mean and how can you manage this when the organization demands results?

“Leadership consist of having a vision and aligning people with that vision is bankrupt…”