Lead with Impact - How to make impact and influence central to your leadership style

Great leaders don't just manage - they inspire, influence, and create lasting impact. Leadership today isn’t about authority; it’s about building trust, fostering collaboration, and driving meaningful results. Here's how to make impact and influence the core of your leadership style:

• Focus on Influence, Not Authority: Build genuine relationships, listen actively, and empower your team to take ownership.
• Be Clear, Consistent, and Visible: Prioritise a few key goals, align actions with those priorities, and spend time engaging with your team.
• Tell Your Leadership Story: Share your purpose, challenges, and achievements to connect with your team and inspire action.
• Communicate Effectively: Balance directive and collaborative approaches based on the situation, and ensure your messages are clear and consistent.
• Lead Without Authority: Use trust, expertise, and emotional intelligence to guide and inspire others, even without formal power.
• Measure Your Impact: Track team health, innovation, decision quality, and skill growth to ensure your leadership drives real progress.

Leadership isn’t about doing more - it’s about being intentional, clear, and consistent. By focusing on these principles, you can create a culture of trust, creativity, and long-term success.

1. The Core of Leadership Impact

From Position Power to True Influence

Modern leadership has shifted from relying on formal authority to building influence through trust, active listening, and empowering others. It's no longer about the title you hold - it's about the trust you earn and the impact you create.

Three essential factors define this shift:

• Building trust through consistent actions
• Listening actively to your team
• Encouraging ownership by empowering team members

A great example of this is Satya Nadella's leadership at Microsoft. By fostering a "Learn It All" culture instead of a "Know It All" mindset, the company saw a 22% increase in revenue and a 40% boost in employee satisfaction.

This approach highlights how influence can drive measurable results when combined with clarity, consistency, and visibility.

Clear × Consistent × Visible = Impact

Leadership becomes more effective when clarity, consistency, and visibility work in harmony. Here's how these elements contribute:

For instance, a retail chain CEO applied this formula by narrowing focus to three priorities, visiting 50 stores each quarter, and aligning promotions with these goals. The result? A 19% year-on-year growth.

Beyond the Loudest Voice

While clarity and consistency are crucial, fostering balanced discussions is equally important. When leaders dominate over 60% of meeting time, both innovation and team engagement can drop.

Unilever UK's "Clear Voice" programme in 2022 showed the benefits of encouraging balanced dialogue:

• Meeting time reduced by 25%
• Adoption of strategic initiatives increased from 61% to 89%
• Decision-making speed improved by 35%

Here are some ways to ensure quieter voices are heard:

• Use pre-meeting input forms to gather ideas in advance
• Introduce anonymous idea boards for unbiased contributions
• Assign designated responders to lead discussions

One financial services firm cut leader talk time to 35% by implementing "silent brainstorming" sessions. This led to a 40% increase in innovation proposals.

Communicating for Leadership Impact and Influence

2. Craft Your Leadership Story

Once you've recognised the importance of clear leadership, it's time to refine your narrative to connect more effectively with your team.

Purpose + Challenge + Change

Your leadership story should link your purpose to your actions. A well-told narrative fosters trust and strengthens connections.

Here are the three key elements that shape a strong leadership story:

This structure allows leaders to share a journey that feels genuine while demonstrating clear growth and progress.

To make your leadership story impactful:

• Tie your personal values to the organisation's goals.
• Reframe challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
• Highlight specific examples of measurable success and team development.
• Create a 'Story Library' of experiences to keep your narrative engaging and relevant.

3. Make Every Message Count

When to Tell, When to Talk

The effectiveness of leadership often depends on knowing when to take charge and when to involve the team. Nearly half of teams experience misalignment, making it crucial to choose the right communication approach to maintain progress.

Use a directive approach when:

• Tasks are unclear or time-sensitive
• Team members need specific instructions
• Precision is critical
• Quick decisions are required

Opt for collaborative communication when:

• Shaping long-term strategies
• Encouraging creativity
• Building team skills
• Tackling complex problems

Once you’ve chosen the right approach, the next step is ensuring your message is clear and impactful.

Build Message Momentum

Creating momentum in communication isn’t about repeating the same thing - it’s about reinforcing your message consistently across various platforms. With 28% of workers unsure about project status at any given time, clarity becomes non-negotiable.

Here’s how to maintain momentum:

• Create a Central Hub: Around 40% of workers lack access to a clear, centralised resource. Set up a single, accessible space for all key information.
• Use Visual Tools: Visual aids are essential for clarity, with 76% of professionals saying they help simplify complex ideas.
• Follow the Five Cs Framework:

John Maxwell once said, "If you have momentum, it'll actually solve 80% of your problems without you even knowing". To sustain that momentum:

• Record decisions and priorities in shared systems
• Standardise communication tools for everyone
• Celebrate milestones to keep morale high
• Lead by example in your communication style

4. Lead Without Authority

Modern leadership is less about holding a title and more about the ability to influence and inspire others.

Questions, Quiet, Quality, and Quotients

Leadership power doesn’t come from your position - it comes from how you show up and the expertise you bring. To build influence, focus on these four areas:

Emotional intelligence plays a key role in leading without formal authority. Without trust and sincerity, your ability to influence others will be limited.

To build trust and influence:

• Develop expertise in your field so others see you as a go-to resource
• Attend meetings with different teams to understand the bigger picture
• Build relationships before you need support
• Be open about your goals and intentions

Change Minds Without Power

Once you’ve established influence using these principles, the next step is to use it to guide others - even without formal authority.

As organisations move towards flatter structures, traditional top-down leadership is becoming less effective. A real-world example comes from AbbVie Pharmaceutical. Their Managed Care team faced challenges in getting field reps on board. By using persuasive communication techniques, they quickly improved access, response times, and client engagement.

In today’s workplace, gaining support and buy-in is critical. Emotional triggers are a powerful tool for persuasive communication. They’re useful even when you have authority - and absolutely essential when you don’t.

Here’s how to change minds effectively:

Build Genuine Connections

• Focus on shared objectives and mutual benefits
• Show real interest in others’ perspectives
• Encourage collaboration instead of competition

Establish Credibility

• Consistently deliver high-quality work
• Share your knowledge freely
• Always follow through on promises

Activate Hope

• Provide clear reasons for your ideas
• Paint an inspiring vision of what’s possible
• Connect individual efforts to broader success

Leadership today is about earning trust and guiding others towards meaningful results.

5. Track and Improve Your Impact

Leadership impact can be tracked and evaluated. By combining clear communication with measurable influence, you can turn strategies into tangible results.

5 Ways to Measure Leadership Impact

To assess your leadership effectiveness, consider multiple perspectives. Here’s a structured way to measure impact:

These metrics together paint a picture of your leadership journey. Look for patterns and trends rather than focusing on isolated figures.

How to Measure Effectively

• Track metrics monthly and compare them to historical data to spot trends over time.
• Conduct quarterly 360-degree assessments involving feedback from peers, direct reports, and senior leaders for a comprehensive view.
• Combine quantitative outcomes (e.g., project budgets, timelines) with qualitative insights like team morale and stakeholder feedback.

When to Change Course

Knowing when to adjust your approach is crucial. Here’s how to recognise whether to stay on track or pivot.

Red Flags to Watch For:

• Declining team engagement or satisfaction
• Increased voluntary turnover
• Missed key milestones or deadlines
• Drop in innovation metrics
• Lack of career growth opportunities within your team

When to Stay the Course:

• Resistance during the early stages of change
• Short-term performance dips during transitions
• Temporary setbacks amidst overall positive trends

When to Pivot:

• Persistent negative feedback from multiple sources
• Long-term declines in key performance metrics
• Signs of burnout or disengagement within the team
• Sharp drops in creativity and innovation

These metrics and signals act as a guide, helping you decide whether to push forward or adjust your strategy. Leadership impact isn’t about being flawless - it’s about making steady, meaningful progress. By consistently measuring and refining, you can shape your leadership story one step at a time.

Conclusion: Clarity Fuels Meaningful Leadership

Leadership that makes a difference isn’t about doing more - it’s about being clear and intentional. Real results happen when your purpose is well-defined and your actions align with it.

Clarity starts with defining what needs to be done and why it matters. Give your team the freedom to decide how to achieve it. This not only encourages initiative but also empowers individuals across your organisation.

When you communicate your values and priorities clearly, it builds trust and ensures your team understands the broader goals. This clarity helps them focus on delivering outcomes that count.

Consistency is key. When your actions back up your words, you create a culture of accountability and respect. Meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight - it’s built through intentional, everyday decisions.

FAQs

How can leaders build trust and influence without relying on formal authority?

Leaders can build trust and influence without formal authority by focusing on character, expertise, and relationships. People naturally follow those they trust, respect, and believe in. Demonstrating integrity, delivering results, and showing genuine care for others can go a long way.

Another critical tool is storytelling. A well-told story can inspire belief, simplify complex ideas, and align people towards a common goal. Clarity is equally important - set clear expectations, communicate priorities, and ensure everyone understands the outcomes you’re working towards.

Ultimately, influence is built by how you show up, how you connect, and how effectively you help others succeed. Authority isn’t always about the title - it’s about the impact you make.

How can I create a leadership story that truly connects with my team?

A great leadership story isn’t just about what you say - it’s about how it makes people feel and act. To craft a story that resonates, focus on three key elements:

1. Clarity of vision: Share a clear and compelling vision that aligns with your team’s goals and values. People need to see where they’re headed and why it matters.
2. Emotional connection: Use emotional intelligence to understand your team’s motivations and challenges. Speak to their experiences and aspirations in a way that feels authentic.
3. Relatability: Make your story human. Share real experiences, challenges, and lessons learned. When people see themselves in your story, they’re more likely to engage and take action.

The best leadership stories inspire trust, foster alignment, and create momentum. Keep it simple, honest, and focused on what matters most to your team.

How can leaders evaluate the impact of their leadership style on team performance and innovation?

To assess the impact of your leadership style, focus on outcomes that matter: team performance, innovation, and alignment. Start by observing how your team operates - are goals being met efficiently, and are ideas flowing freely? Regular feedback from your team can also reveal how your leadership is perceived and where adjustments may be needed.

Pay attention to key indicators like improved collaboration, faster problem-solving, and a culture that encourages creativity. If your leadership fosters trust and clarity, you’ll see it reflected in both the quality of work and team morale. Finally, review the tangible results - are you delivering on strategic objectives and driving meaningful progress? The evidence will speak for itself.

Related posts

• How to find your leadership voice
• Authority vs. Influence: Communication Strategies
• You’re Smart. You’re Capable. So Why Are You Struggling to Be Heard?
• How You Show Up Is What People Remember - Let’s Make Sure It’s the Right Story