Tim was not the leader type. I made that judgment early in our work relationship. He was reserved and a little nerdy. He was not someone who attracted a lot of attention. I soon found out I was dead wrong about Tim’s ability to lead.

The key to leadership is influence. Tim wielded incredible influence within our team and with his customers. But, what is the key to influence? Some people might say it is charisma or power. However, Tim did not have either of these.

The Key To Influence

Tim did one thing incredibly well and it resulted in sales performance that few people could match. He spoke and people listened. Even though I was his boss, I soon found myself following Tim’s lead in a lot of areas.

The U.S. Army On Influence

It was not until I recently reviewed the U.S. Army’s ADP 6-22 Army Leadership manual that I was able to diagnose what Tim did so well.

 Tim knew what other people valued.

The U.S. Army has been training leaders for centuries. ADP 6-22 states that leaders influence others by “anticipating what others value.” They understand how people will react to influence and understand their shared understanding of common goals.

Influence is the ability to understand what others value and align your goals with what that other person values. That was what Tim was exceptional at doing.

Determining What Others Value

Tim knew what others valued because he took the time to find out. He knew how to ask open-ended questions and gather the opinions and desires of others. Once he knew what others valued, he aligned his goals with what they valued.

In sales we called this “establishing the need”. As a salesman, Tim found out what the needs and desires of the customer were and he aligned his product with meeting those needs.

As a leader, Tim took the time to understand what my needs and desires were and developed ideas and strategies aligned with those needs. Because he understood what I valued, I listened to him.

Overcoming Resistance

Resistance to influence is often the result of an individual not understanding how what they value aligns with what the influencer desires. An individual who understands what another person values and demonstrates how his/her goals align with what the other person values is wielding influence.

ADP 6-22 states: “After taking measure of underlying causes of resistance, leaders can work to build or restore relationships, determine shared goals, remove perceived threats or other actions, and clarify how the influence action relates to their personal values.”

The Bottom Line:

If I want to be a person of influence, I need to understand what other people value and meet those needs. Some people may value personal recognition. Some may value being part of a winning team.  Some may value working for a cause bigger than themselves.

If I am leading any of these people, I need to illustrate to them how what they value aligns with my goals or the team’s goals. The goals do not change, but by understanding what an individual values, my influence will get them to follow me, not out of compliance but due to commitment.

To read more about teamwork and common goals click on the following blog title:  Teamwork – A Navy SEALs Definition.

Tim did not use charisma or power to get others to follow him. He used influence. His customers followed his lead. His peers followed his lead. And, I followed his lead.

Tim took the time to figure out what each person valued and then met those desires. Tim may have been reserved and a little nerdy. But he did not need charisma or power to have influence.

His influence came from a stronger foundation. Tim cared enough to find out what his customer, his peers and his boss valued. Once he knew what others valued, he adjusted his approach based on what he knew.

Tim had influence. Tim was a leader.

Question:

Do you know what each person on your team, your peers or your boss values?