Brian Tracy- “Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position”.

Leadership is gaining massive traction in the contemporary world. Not because it’s an avenue to exercise power, but because many leaders lack formidable leadership qualities. Whether it’s in business, education, or the corporate realm, leadership is a significant skill when it comes to managing people. However, as much as most of us believe that we can lead people, true leadership is influential! The ability to win people’s trust and sell your vision to them and inspire them to take a certain direction isn’t easy.

To truly be an effective leader, one must possess the ability to influence others. Leadership isn’t all about giving commands and delegating tasks, but it may also require one to engage, encourage, and inspire others toward a common goal.

Influencing Employees as a Team Leader!

Leading people can be difficult and in fact, prove technical in times of crisis. Financial woes, workplace violence, and organizational and change management are some of the possible forms of crises that team leaders can encounter. This is the time when leaders must use their influence to inspire others to bring the desired change.

It should be noted that true influence requires no coercion and in fact, employees are themselves willing to stand behind their leader or work effectively to attain a common goal. Having a positive influence on the employees as a team leader can  lead to a positive and all-inclusive work environment. Additionally, people thrive under such leadership and are more willing to listen and follow you. But how can a team leader influence employees? 

8 Ways You Can Influence Your Employees as a Team Leader

There are several ways in which team leaders can influence their employees and some of the top most actionable approaches are as follows;  

Reflect on your Leadership Style

There are different styles or leadership theories that any leader can identify with. More so, when leaders self-reflect, they can be able to identify the type of leadership style they leverage. A given type of leadership can either have a positive or negative influence on employees. For example, flexible leadership styles encourage employees to communicate their feelings effectively with their leaders. Whereas rigid leadership styles can intimidate employees into being fearful and reticent even about crucial workplace matters.

The most effective leadership styles that have proven to enhance a leader’s influence on employees and maximize project success include; transformational, visionary, and democratic leadership. Other leadership styles i.e bureaucratic and autocratic may increase a leader’s influence on employees but may affect satisfaction and interaction in a workplace. Therefore try to assess your leadership style and find means of adopting a people-oriented leadership style. 

Understand Your Responsibilities

Most of the time leaders fail because they are unaware of their roles and responsibilities. When leaders lack the real picture of their tasks within an organization, this creates gaps and at times confusion among teams. This is a form of incompetence that may discourage employees from following your lead. This also becomes worse when a leader chooses to micromanage a team.

With that, try to understand what is expected of you as a leader in an organization or department. Realize your duties, official engagements, and limitations to earn respect from others. It is also essential to enhance your expertise to stay knowledgeable and relevant in the field. In this way, you will prove to be more influential. 

Leading By Example

Formidable leadership isn’t all about displaying competence verbally but has a lot to do with leading by example. Leading by example is an undeniable force that positively impacts employee behavior and impacts the tone of the workplace culture. For example, if you want your team members to show up on time, try to set an example by coming on time or signing into the official portal before time. In this way,  your character is an example to your employees and they will be influenced to do the same.  

Tap Into the Power of Emotional Intelligence

EQ or emotional intelligence in leadership is becoming an essential skill. Precisely, there is no way leaders can influence people by overlooking reality. For example, denying an employee a leave to deal with family problems! Does that positively influence employees or ward them off?

Beyond technical skills, is emotional intelligence, an ability to understand one’s emotions, feelings, and their impact on others. Emotional intelligence is governed by core competencies that can effectively influence employees. These include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Leaders who are emotionally intelligent are more empathetic and more positioned to take effective decisions. 

Generally, they put themselves in others’ positions and don’t act out of feelings or gossip. Besides that, emotionally intelligent leaders have more ability to manage, coach, and foster collaboration in the workplace. Besides that, they have a reduced chance of dealing with stress and burnout. 

Leverage Team Building Activities

Engaging employees whether in-house or remotely is one of the most ideal business strategies that any modern organization should pay attention to. Employee engagement is very important because it helps to bring employees together and build teams. Currently, there are several employee engagement activities and ideas that can bridge the gap between a leader and team members.

Taking the time to participate in any team-building activities such as games, mentoring programs, and coffee breaks can help team leaders get to know their teams and relate with them in the best way. Team leaders must be strategic, especially when dealing with a hybrid workforce. It is because some team-building activities can be suitable for in-person employees such as scavenger hunts. Therefore, try to identify team-building activities that will serve the intended goals.        

Build Trust

Trust in the workplace is a very crucial thing because it can push for better teamwork and collaboration. More so, it can cultivate a sense of accountability in team members. However, with all the benefits of trust in a workplace, it should be noted that building trust takes commitment and hard work. Imagine, how can your team members trust you when you don’t trust them.

Building trust commonly starts with the leader. You will have to do things that make your team trust you willingly. For example, creating a conducive work environment, motivating them, and solving their issues without partiality. In this way, your team members will be encouraged to trust you and will also perform in a way that they don’t misuse your trust. This is one of the best approaches to influencing employees as a team leader.  

Appreciate Them 

A simple gesture of “thank you and please keep it up” can motivate employees to continue with their remarkable performance. Employee recognition helps employees realize that the company values them and this can help them understand that their contribution is noticed. Showing appreciation to a team can increase their morale and build a stronger company culture.

With that, you can choose to utilize HR management tools to track employee performance so that you can appreciate them where necessary. You can also offer customized gifts, financial incentives, and paid leaves to show gratitude. Besides that, try to stay transparent and ignore minor mistakes that can demotivate employees. In this way, you would have managed to set a reliable foundation for influencing employees. 

Offer Constructive Feedback

Did you know that consistent and constructive feedback can increase your influence as a leader in an organization? Statistics show that 4 in 10 employees are actively disengaged because they get little or no feedback and that over 60% crave more feedback. Employee feedback is a medium of helping employees understand their strengths, and weaknesses and identify means of becoming better.

Any serious employee would love to get regular feedback to understand his or her performance and cultivate paths for career development. Therefore, one of the best ways a leader can influence employees is by providing positive and constructive feedback where necessary.

Bottom Line

An influential leader is an asset to any organization because this is what takes to get things done through people. During times of crises, change management, or innovation, influential leaders can guide an organization through a smooth transition. This can help employees to stay focused and more flexible. On the other hand, having influence over employees can reduce a company’s operational costs. That’s because employees would be more willing to take a team leader’s lead and stay dedicated to their work. Fortunately enough, team leaders can influence employees in many ways. That can be by how they carry themselves, interact with others, and provide feedback to them. Also, try to be courteous, ethical, and professional in all your doings.