As a manager, your job is to get work done through others. While you have formal authority, real influence comes from building trusted relationships with your team. Here are 5 tips to help you influence outcomes and drive results:
1. Connect work to purpose. Help your team see how their day-to-day tasks connect to larger organisational goals. When people feel their work is contributing to something meaningful, they’ll be more motivated to go the extra mile.
2. Lead with empathy. See things from your team’s perspective. Listen to understand their challenges and motivations. Empathy builds psychological safety so people feel comfortable expressing concerns early before issues escalate.
3. Communicate with clarity. Be clear in assigning tasks and expectations. Set transparent success metrics. Follow up to provide feedback and coaching. Good communication aligns the team and helps identify roadblocks.
4. Empower others. Enable your team to have ownership over their work. Provide autonomy and delegate decision making authority where appropriate. Trusted empowerment boosts engagement and creativity.
5. Model desired behaviours. As a leader, you set the tone. Model the mindsets and behaviors you want to see from your team like transparency, collaboration and growth mindset. Leading by example is powerful.
Influence is built over time through trust and results. Master these tips to get more out of your team by bringing them along versus commanding. Subtle shifts in how you interact with people can have an outsized impact.
