Influence, Not Authority, Shows Solid Leadership

Leadership is more than just having authority over other employees; strong leadership exists at every level of an organization. Effective leadership positively influences your team and others around you. As an influencer, you naturally move people toward success by the way you carry yourself, your reputation, your credibility and how you communicate. Influencers exhibit behaviors that people appreciate and want to replicate.

In business, influence is often confused with authority. To differentiate the two, think of influence as a skill that one applies regardless of position and authority as a decision making role assigned to a person by way of title. Authority figures may not be natural influencers, but they must give direction. When the authority’s decisions and directions aren’t accepted, employees may not give their full commitment to the project. At worst, they may even put up a resistance to the assignment. This can lead to erosion of trust, team alienation and damage to your reputation.

Read more of SkillPath CEO Cam Bishop's article on how leaders can be influencers rather than authority figures.