Influence is the quiet power behind every successful leader—they don’t just tell people what to do, they move people toward action. They shape thinking, build trust, and guide behavior not through authority, but through meaningful communication. Whether it’s motivating a team during difficult times, aligning departments behind a new strategy, or persuading stakeholders to invest in a bold initiative—strong influencing skills make the difference.
In leadership today, where hierarchies are flatter and collaboration is essential, commanding authority is no longer enough. Influence is now the foundation of effective leadership.
In this article, we’ll explore five essential influencing skills in communication for leaders:
- Building Trust Through Credibility
- Emotional Intelligence: Leading Through Connection
- Persuasive Communication and Framing
- Active Listening and Strategic Questioning
- Storytelling for Meaning and Motivation
Each of these skills empowers leaders to engage, align, and inspire their teams—not through pressure, but through partnership and purpose.
1. Building Trust Through Credibility
Great leaders know: influence does not exist without trust. Trust is not given—it’s earned through consistent action, transparency, and demonstrated competence.
Why Credibility Matters
Credibility is the foundation of influence. If people don’t trust your expertise or intentions, they will resist your message, disengage from your plans, and quietly avoid supporting your ideas. But when your team believes in your integrity and capabilities, they buy in—even when they disagree.
How Leaders Build Trust
Credibility is built through five dimensions:
- Consistency: Doing what you say you will do.
- Competence: Showing you have the experience and knowledge to lead.
- Integrity: Being honest and taking responsibility.
- Reliability: Following through, especially under pressure.
- Transparency: Sharing the “why” behind your decisions.
Communication Strategies That Build Credibility
- Be clear and honest—even when the truth is hard.
- Admit mistakes early and explain how you’ll fix them.
- Use data and evidence to support your claims.
- Align your words and actions—avoid mixed messages.
- Give credit to team members publicly.
Practical Example
Imagine a project is delayed, and your team is frustrated. A weak leader blames others and hides the real reasons. A credible leader says:
“Our initial timeline was too optimistic, and that’s on me. Here’s what we learned and how we’ll adjust the process. I’ll need your input to improve the next phase.”
That message builds trust—and trust fuels influence.
2. Emotional Intelligence: Leading Through Connection
Influence isn’t just logic; it’s emotional. Leaders who ignore emotions miss half the conversation. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand and manage your emotions while also understanding others’ feelings and perspectives.
Why EQ Is Key to Influence
People don’t follow leaders they fear; they follow leaders they feel. EQ allows a leader to communicate in a way that resonates with people—reducing resistance and building loyalty.
Components of Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman outlined five pillars of EQ, and all of them improve influence:
| Component | Leadership Application |
| Self-awareness | Recognizing how your emotions affect your communication |
| Self-regulation | Staying calm and in control in difficult conversations |
| Motivation | Demonstrating passion and positive energy |
| Empathy | Understanding others’ emotions and concerns |
| Social skills | Building relationships and resolving conflicts |
Communication Strategies That Use EQ
- Recognize emotional tone before responding.
- Name and validate emotions during conversations.
- Use inclusive language—“we,” “together,” “team.”
- Be aware of body language—yours and others’.
- Adapt your message to your audience’s emotional state.
Example of EQ in Action
If a team is stressed about change, a leader with EQ won’t jump into project details. They start with emotion:
“I know this change feels sudden and may be overwhelming. Let’s talk through your concerns before we outline next steps.”
By acknowledging feelings first, resistance drops—and influence rises.
3. Persuasive Communication and Framing
Influential leaders are persuasive. Not manipulative, not forceful—persuasive. They know how to frame ideas in a compelling way that inspires people to agree and take action.
The Power of Framing
The way a message is framed determines how people interpret it. Great leaders communicate not just the what, but the value and the purpose behind it.
Bad persuasion:
“We’re implementing a new system next quarter.”
Effective persuasion:
“Next quarter we’re launching a new system that will reduce errors by 30% and save each of you about five hours a week.”
Persuasion Techniques Leaders Use
- Highlight mutual benefit – “Here’s how this helps us all.”
- Use evidence and examples – Support claims.
- Appeal to values – Show purpose beyond profit.
- Reduce risk – “Let’s test this first in one team.”
- Create urgency – “This opportunity won’t wait six months.”
The Aristotle Framework
Aristotle broke down persuasion into three elements—leaders still use these today:
| Element | Meaning | Example |
| Ethos | Credibility | “Here’s how this worked in our last project…” |
| Pathos | Emotion | “This upgrade will make your day easier.” |
| Logos | Logic | “Data shows a 25% increase in efficiency.” |
Example of Persuasive Framing
When trying to gain support for a restructuring plan:
“This structure will cut bureaucracy and speed up decision-making. You’ll spend more time solving problems—not waiting for approvals. It also gives ownership and accountability back to teams.”
People support what they understand and believe in. Influence requires clarity, logic, and emotional appeal working together.
4. Active Listening and Strategic Questioning
It may sound surprising, but one of the most powerful influencing skills is listening. Influence is not about speaking more; it’s about understanding deeply.
Why Listening is Essential to Influence
People are more open to being influenced when they feel heard and respected. When leaders listen actively—not just waiting to reply—they earn trust and uncover hidden motivations and concerns that shape better decisions.
Components of Active Listening
- Maintain attention – No multitasking.
- Reflect and paraphrase – “So what I hear is…”
- Remove judgment – Let them finish fully.
- Ask clarifying questions – Seek deeper understanding.
- Validate feelings – Show empathy, even if you disagree.
Strategic Questioning
Asking the right questions changes conversations from resistance to cooperation.
Types of influence-building questions:
- Exploratory: “What challenges do you see in this idea?”
- Reflective: “Why is this important to you?”
- Solution-focused: “What would success look like?”
- Alignment: “How can we make this work for both teams?”
- Commitment: “What would it take for you to support this?”
Example of Strategic Listening
During a meeting about budget cuts, instead of saying:
“We have no choice; this is final.”
An influential leader asks:
“Which areas could we reduce spending without hurting performance? Where do we still need investment?”
This engages people and shifts them from resistance to contribution.
5. Storytelling for Meaning and Motivation
Facts tell. Stories sell. Influence is not only about information—it’s about belief. That’s why storytelling is one of the most powerful communication tools leaders can use.
Why Storytelling Works
Stories:
- Create emotional connection
- Make ideas memorable
- Inspire action
- Drive shared purpose
- Simplify complex ideas
The Leadership Story Framework
Every leadership story needs three things:
- A challenge – What needed to change.
- A journey – What actions were taken.
- A result – What was achieved and why it matters.
Examples of Stories Leaders Should Tell
- Vision stories – Why the team exists and where it’s going.
- Culture stories – Examples of core values in action.
- Customer stories – Real impact of the work being done.
- Resilience stories – Facing failure and coming back stronger.
Example of Story-Based Influence
Instead of saying:
“We need to improve customer service.”
A storytelling leader says:
“Last month, we received a message from a customer named Sarah. She was disappointed after waiting two weeks for a delayed delivery. But what changed everything wasn’t the refund—it was that John from support called her personally, apologized sincerely, and helped her choose a replacement. She wrote back saying that one call made her trust our company even more. That’s who we are—and we’re going to build our service around that kind of human connection.”
That story activates emotion and drives action.
Final Thoughts: Influence Is a Leadership Superpower
Influence isn’t authority. It isn’t manipulation. It’s leadership in action—guiding people toward ideas and behaviors that matter. These five influencing skills are essential for any modern leader:
| Influencing Skill | Outcome |
| Trust & Credibility | People believe your message |
| Emotional Intelligence | People feel understood |
| Persuasive Communication | People see value and act |
| Active Listening | People feel involved and respected |
| Storytelling | People feel inspired and connected |
Influence is not something you’re born with—it’s something you develop through intention, communication, and genuine care for others. Master these skills and you’ll not only lead—you’ll leave a legacy.
