Strategies for Influencing Others Module

This module includes: 1.) curriculum related to strategies for influencing others including the INFLUENCE acronym, teaching notes, reflection questions, and more; 2.) two classroom exercises to help students practice the strategies and apply their learning. 

Influencing others is at the heart of effective leadership. The acronym INFLUENCE highlights various methods to do so. Leaders who intentionally choose influence strategies will be better prepared to help the team accomplish its task. First, it is important to focus on relationships and understand that empathy is key. You will need to work to understand the perspective of others – put yourself in their shoes and understand their values, motivations, and goals. Other approaches include involving others (e.g., people support what they help create), negotiating a solution by emphasizing the win-win (e.g., search for solutions where all sides can gain), creating positive energy (e.g., if you are excited and enthusiastic about a course of action, others are more likely to be as well), using logic (e.g., help others understand the facts and the logic behind your approach), and if needed, leading a coalition of like-minded people to influence the group. A final option, and rarely appropriate, is to use formal authority or your position to set the course for the team. 

Collegiate Leadership Competition is a nonprofit organization focused on researching leadership development and using that knowledge to create resources that will help move the field of leadership education forward. CLC’s underlying theory is that leadership skills are primarily strengthened through deliberate practice.