Post written by
Glenn Taylor
Professional Inspirator, Coach and Speaker with Skybound Coaching and Training empowering you to elevate your leadership, career or business
You may know certain people within your personal or professional spheres who seem to have a lot of influence — not because they have authority over others but because they bring a certain type of value to relationships.
Here are nine personas that yield greater influence. Which one could you lean into for more impact as a leader?
The Connector: This person gains influence by being a connective hub. They proactively bring people together, introducing one person to another because they know that the two individuals will benefit from the connection. When and if those new relationships are fruitful in some way, part of the value is accrued back to the person who originally facilitated the connection, which translates to added influence.
The Expert: This person holds influence because of their competence in a certain area. They have valuable knowledge and skills gained through experience and/or specialized training and build influence when they share that wisdom generously with others.
The Producer: This person is known for being extremely productive and focused. They can make things happen and get stuff done, seemingly with more ease, speed and less drama than others. Because of this, they’re seen as a particularly valuable and influential member of the team.
The Trusted: This person creates trust quickly and easily. It exudes from their presence, words and actions. Therefore, people often go to them for counsel and advice or to discuss confidential or sensitive situations. At the same time, they tend to be recruited for the most important and leading-edge projects, as others know they can be counted on. All of this rolls up to increased influence.
The Catalyst: This person stimulates ideas, progress and action in others. They have a knack for creating momentum and cultivating optimism, especially in the midst of a situation that feels deadlocked. Due to their ability to breathe new life into challenging scenarios, they become more influential.