Appointing a leader with no influence.

Appointing a leader with no influence

Yes, it is possible that a person reaches a position of leader with hard work, determination, good numbers, and company loyalty.

But if this is a person who does not mingle, and stays to themselves, it can be problematic.

Let’s suppose a CEO of a settled firm in Sydney. But one day they decide to shift the whole company 160 kilometres away to a different city. They never felt at home in Sydney. Now, as soon as this was announced people immediately started to look for alternative postings. Some of them even quit. In all departments, the key people with crucial company details were leaving. The company had to execute an alternative plan and spent a fortune in rehiring them on higher commissions to avoid leaking crucial information about the firm.

The above example highlights the lack of influence competency in the CEO.

It is important to understand that leaders who lack influence would not be able to direct their team even in the minutest. This is because the leader is unable to establish trust with their team. The above example was a big change, but a leader with no influence can create hurdles even in day to day functioning of the company. These hurdles can extend from difficulty in implementing new policies, ill-defined boundaries, to even having conflicting relationships in the workplace.

Let’s do a small exercise:

Take a moment and list the people who influence you in your life? (partner, friends, parents, colleagues, manager, public figure, mentor)

Reflect on what it is about them that makes you want to follow them? List the qualities.

You will find these qualities coincide with EQ competencies and qualities of an influential leader. EQ competencies include self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation, empathy, and effective social skills (communication, engaging, motivating). A leader with higher EQ has a greater influence on the people they interact with. Certain qualities of an influential leader will include honesty, integrity, authority, trust, vulnerability, and authenticity.

If you remember the salesman with no motivation from the previous sections, having an influence can be helpful.

They could set a good rapport with the prospective client in order to make a sale. If not now, but in the near future.

Appointing a leader with no influence.