What is Influence?
Influence is the ability to shape outcomes through your behaviour – not through hierarchy, pressure, or position, but through how you communicate, listen, respond, and guide a conversation. It is the skill that allows professionals to move others, create alignment, resolve tension, and build trust while still achieving results.
In modern organisations, where collaboration is essential and authority is limited, influence has become one of the most important professional competencies. Whether you lead teams, manage projects, advise stakeholders, or work across functions, your ability to influence determines how effectively you get things done.
Why Influence matters
Influence is often misunderstood. Many people associate it with power, manipulation, or personality – something you either “have” or you don’t.
But decades of practice and research show the opposite: Influence is a learnable skill grounded in observable behaviour.
At The Influence Company, we define Influence as: the intentional use of behaviour to steer a situation towards a positive outcome (achieving goals), while preserving – and often strengthening – the relationship.
This means influence is:
► Practical: based on clear behaviours you can learn and apply
► Ethical: focused on shared outcomes rather than winning at any cost
► Flexible: adaptable to different people, situations, and challenges
Professionals who master influence:
- Reduce friction and misunderstandings
- Handle challenging conversations with more confidence
- Gain support without relying on authority
- Achieve results through collaboration
- Contribute to a healthier, more effective working environment
Test your Influence
Curious about your current influence style?
Take our free Influence Test to gain insight into how you communicate, where your strengths lie, and which behaviours you can develop to increase your impact. You will receive personalised feedback you can apply immediately.
When are you truly influential?
People become influential the moment they take responsibility for how they show up – not just for what they want.
Influential professionals:
- Have a clear purpose or goal in mind
- Are aware of their natural behavioural tendencies
- Know how to adapt their approach to what the situation requires
- Can guide conversations without escalating tension
- Inspire others to commit rather than comply
In other words:
You are influential when you can choose the right behaviour at the right time.
Influence is not about personality.
It is about awareness, intention, and behavioural flexibility.
Positive influence as a foundation for your career
Professionals who can flexibly shift their behaviour have more impact, build stronger relationships, and achieve more with less effort.
Positive influence helps you:
- Handle resistance constructively
- Navigate complex stakeholder dynamics
- Collaborate more effectively
- Lead yourself and others with clarity
- Accelerate both personal and organisational results
It is a skill that stays relevant throughout your entire career – from early professional roles to senior leadership.
Positive Influence
Positive influence is about creating impact through intention, clarity, and collaboration.
Positive influence behaviour:
- Focuses on “we” instead of “me versus you”
Looks for shared goals and common ground. - Invites dialogue and genuine exchange
Asks questions, listens actively, and seeks understanding. - Responds to situations with intention, not impulse
Chooses behaviour that moves the conversation forward. - Respects people, perspectives, and boundaries
Values differences and builds trust. - Welcomes feedback
Uses it to adjust, grow, and increase effectiveness. - Motivates through connection and clarity
Encourages commitment rather than compliance. - Relies on collaboration to achieve results
Gets things done together, not at the expense of others.
Negative Influence
Negative influence is about using pressure, dominance, or hierarchy to push outcomes.
Negative influence behaviour:
- Frames situations as “me versus you”
Focuses on winning instead of finding solutions. - Pushes demands rather than opening dialogue
Talks more than listens; assumes rather than explores. - Acts reactively instead of intentionally
Uses behaviour that escalates rather than resolves. - Uses people as a means to an end
Prioritises personal agenda over relationships. - Rejects feedback or criticism
Sees it as a threat rather than as input. - Motivates through pressure or fear
Seeks short-term compliance, not long-term commitment. - Relies on authority to get things done
Depends on hierarchy instead of influence skills.
Becoming influential requires a good set of Influence Skills
Influence is not about natural charisma or the loudest voice in the room. It is about choosing behaviour intentionally, adapting to the situation, and guiding conversations toward meaningful outcomes. Strong influence skills help you communicate clearly, earn trust, handle resistance, and move people without relying on authority.
When you develop these skills, you can inspire others, navigate complexity with confidence, and build relationships that support long-term success.
Knowing when to use each Influence Skill and Style is essential
Mastering influence is not only about knowing the four Influence Styles – it’s about choosing the right one at the right moment. Each style serves a different purpose:
Bridging helps you connect, listen, and build trust.
Persuading enables you to present ideas clearly and gain commitment.
Asserting allows you to express needs and boundaries with confidence.
Attracting draws others in by appealing to values, enthusiasm, and vision.
The real skill lies in recognising what a situation requires and adapting your behaviour intentionally. This is where influence skills such as communication, empathy, situational awareness, and problem-solving become crucial. Together, they help you apply each style effectively – maximising your impact and achieving results without damaging relationships.
Get familiar with our training programmes
Join one of our live webinars to explore how our programmes work, what you will learn, and how the Influence Model® applies to real workplace situations. Prefer to watch at your own pace? You can also access a recorded version whenever it suits you.
Download now, read later
Looking for more in-depth information about our approach and programmes?
Explore our most popular downloads – practical e-books filled with tips, examples, and real workplace scenarios, as well as detailed course brochures to help you choose the programme that fits your goals.
Learn how you truly change your behaviour
It’s about doing things differently tomorrow than you did today. That’s what matters.
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