I am working on a presentation about 360 degree leadership; how each of us influence the people all around us, not just in our vertical reporting relationships or horizontal teams. I came across a terrific Forbes.com article by Harold Scharlatt titled How To Influence When You Don’t have Authority.
Scharlatt describes three kinds of influence; logical, emotional and cooperative appeals. Quoting from the article:
“A logical appeal taps into people’s reason and intellect. You present an argument for the best choice of action based on organizational benefits, personal benefits or both…
An emotional appeal connects your message, goal or project to individual goals and values. Link your request to a clear and appealing vision the other person can fully support…
A cooperative appeal builds a connection between you, the person you want to influence and others, to get support for your proposal. Working together to accomplish a mutually important goal means you’re extending a hand to others in the organization.”
As you go through your day, be mindful of who you are trying to influence, what you are trying to influence, and which of the above approaches might work best for the given situation. I suggest that even if you have the privilege of authority, you still want to appeal to logic, emotion or a sense of cooperation to move people along willingly.
Try to also be present to how you are being influenced by others. Is there a particular approach that you are more apt to respond favorably to? Are you inclined to never take a certain tactic well? Understanding how we ourselves think and react is just as (perhaps more?) important as understanding those around us.
Influence. Persuade. Lead.
