How Influencing Upward Helps You as a Leader

Influence is an important skill for any leader. The ability to influence upwards is advanced leadership and critical to those looking to advance beyond their current levels. Providing new perspectives and points of view is something executive leaders want from their team. Being able to provide that can be a way to set yourself apart. Here are several ideas you can use to grow as a leader, influence your company’s outcomes at a higher level, and give yourself an advantage in moving up in the organization.

Learn from making recommendations

Building a rapport with your supervisor and others in the executive circle is a great way to open the door to sharing ideas. When you share ideas, you begin a dialogue that can be as beneficial to you as the company. You will receive feedback and challenges to your ideas - that is a perfect way to learn. Take advantage of the questions and conversation that come from sharing your thoughts. It can provide insights into how other leaders think, allowing you to refine your ideas and approach to future discussions. Each enhances your ability to influence further.

Asking questions of your leader provides many benefits

Asking questions shows interest. Like sharing ideas, it also creates conversation and two-way learning. When asking questions, be ready to follow up the responses with additional thoughts. This is another way to express ideas through conversation versus just stating ideas to start the discussion. Asking questions to understand how your leader thinks can give you a perspective on how to approach them in the future for similar situations. For example, you may approach your leader and ask, “can I ask how you arrived at that approach for the situation?”

Influence equals long-term value

There is no better way to make a contribution or difference to your company than by influencing your leaders. Whether you are a store associate, Store Manager, District Manager, or even a Regional Manager, there are others to influence, and you have a unique perspective that that person the next level up doesn’t have. From a personal point of view, I love when I hear ideas, or get asked questions from people directly in contact with the customers. I cannot tell you how many times their comments have influenced me. In many of the instances, that conversation (and influence) then has a rippling effect on a much larger audience, whether it is a full region or the entire company. You can add value as an individual that contributes something that every person can benefit from.

Forces you to think at a higher level

Are you challenging yourself to consider your ideas all the way through? How might your supervisor respond? What questions would you expect them to ask of you? Thinking through your responses will help refine your thoughts and allow you to anticipate the questions and address them proactively. This can be a huge benefit in influencing other people, especially senior leaders. If you are already speaking to the potential concerns, they know you have given your idea serious thought. That level of creditability can be the difference in being given the ‘green light’ for your idea and not.As you can see, influence goes in many directions and can create a significant, positive change for you and your company. Learning how to influence more effectively upwards will be a boost to your career and your personal development journey.What steps will you take to positive influence upwards in the next 30 days? Share your thoughts in the comments section.Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive FREE leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills all at no cost. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.