By: Patty Prosser
Good Leadership: Increased Visibility = Greater Influence
I’ve had multiple coaching clients recently tell me that one of their goals is to increase their influence within their organizations. And, when I ask them what exactly they mean by that, they often tell me that they feel invisible and want to have others hear them when they speak!
Having your voice “heard” is important, but it also means not just filling the “white” spaces. It starts with a few simple steps, like not waiting to be picked to speak when in meetings. When you have something to say that is germane to a conversation, say it! Participate with purpose. Be willing to initiate or clarify, even if no one asks. Start stepping into the opportunities where your insight, influence, or leadership is needed.
Increased visibility boosts a leader’s influence in a number of ways:
– By building trust
– Enhancing credibility
– Improving communication
It creates opportunities to inspire teams, drive vision, and navigate challenges more effectively, but it requires authenticity and balance to avoid seeming self-promotional.
How Visibility Builds Influence:
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- Establishes Trust & Credibility: Being seen and approachable makes leaders seem reliable and attentive, fostering belief in their guidance.
- Improves Communication & Collaboration: Visible leaders encourage open dialogue, leading to better teamwork, morale, and innovation as they are seen as more accessible.
- Drives Vision & Purpose: Leaders who articulate goals publicly provide direction, giving meaning to daily tasks and aligning the team.
- Increases Opportunities: High visibility opens doors to speaking, new projects, and roles that wouldn’t arise from performance alone, elevating their status.
- Provides Assurance (Especially in Crisis): Leading from the front during tough times shows stability, assuring stakeholders the organization is in capable hands.
Key Aspects of Visible Leadership:
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- Authenticity Matters: It’s not about being loud; it’s about being present and impactful in a way that feels genuine to you (quietly visible).
- Balance Privacy and Presence: Constantly being “on” can be draining, so leaders need to recharge while maintaining their strategic presence.
- Transparency Builds Loyalty: Sharing challenges and failures, not just successes, builds deeper trust than only highlighting wins.
There are many ways for leaders to strategically increase their influence, but it needs to be done in the “right” way. Overdoing visibility can backfire, making a leader seem more interested in personal gain than team success, and that erodes trust.
By strategically increasing your presence and communication, you, as a leader, can transform yourself from just a manager into a trusted, influential figure who inspires action and achieves shared goals.
So, here’s to a commitment to increasing your Influence as we look to the start of a new year! And as always, if you or other leaders in your organization are facing similar challenges, please visit our website at The Center for Leadership Excellence.
And if you have a “prickly” leadership issue you’d like me to explore in a future blog, please reach out to me directly – I’d love to hear from you.
Patty Prosser, Co-Founder and Coaching Practice Leader at The Center for Leadership Excellence,317-727-6464 or at pprosser@cciindy.com.