Igniting Your Influence

Influence isn’t necessarily defined by the scale of an audience. Rather, at the heart of influence is the ability to have your words inspire action. By CAROLYN KMET | Spring 2018



Influence is an intangible, yet invaluable, personal asset. It’s a force shaped by the intrinsic values of those who hold it. When wielded with heart and passion, influence can inspire masses. When applied with force or manipulation, influence can destroy and dishearten. Influence, in all its forms, is the ability to convince others to follow you, even when they aren’t required to.

“Influence is persuading others to do something for you that gives them no direct benefit but is essential to the greater strategy. Influence is convincing someone to see your perspective and act upon it,” explains Illinois CPA Society member Annette O’Connor, vice president of finance and head of internal audit at RRD in Chicago.

INSPIRING INFLUENCE

To see the power of influence in action, we can turn to Canadian fast casual restaurant franchise Freshii. Since its founding in 2005, Freshii has opened hundreds of restaurants across 20 different countries. “We want to provide meals and snacks that help you live your best life,” the company says. That sounds welcoming and all, but key to Freshii’s success isn’t a simple slogan, it’s the positive influence CEO Matthew Corrin has on Freshii’s stakeholders.

“There are two ways to build influence,” Corrin explains. “One way is to manipulate someone; the other way is to inspire someone.”

Inspiring everyone in the company to be the best version of themselves and to maximize their own potential is at the heart of Corrin’s influence, and it resonates through Freshii’s corporate culture. For example, Freshii’s leadership team makes a concerted effort to ensure that everyone in the organization understands how their work ties into the broader company objective.

“We spend a lot of time thinking about the ‘why’ factor,” explains Freshii’s Chief People Officer Ashley Dalziel. “We want people to know they have ownership over what they do, and that their work makes a difference. That, I think, is how Corrin’s inspiration and influence come to life.”

In other words, influence isn’t about forcing people to do something, it’s about inspiring people to do something because they believe in it too. “They believe in it because they understand that ‘why,’” Dalziel says. “They understand why what they do matters. They understand the impact they have.”

“We use words like ‘meritocracy’ around this company,” Corrin adds. “A meritocracy is where you can influence regardless of how much money you make, how long you’ve been with the company, your age, or your gender.”

This is a departure from the traditional train of thought that influence emanates only from those in positions of power.

“Today, it’s vital that those barriers don’t block us from learning, improving, and growing together. Employees need to understand their capacity to provide impactful change to their organizations,” says Illinois CPA Society member Beth Ulbrich, CPA, accounting and consulting services partner at Mueller CPA in Chicago.

“Great ideas can come from anyone and anywhere,” Dalziel emphasizes. “Organizations need to cultivate environments that facilitate the free flow of ideas. Gather people’s ideas and suggestions, really listen, and take those ideas and make them reality.”

LEARNING INFLUENCE

We often look at leaders and influencers in our society and think that it comes so naturally to them, that they make it look easy, or maybe that they just got lucky. Maybe you wonder, “Can I become influential?”

“Yes, you can learn to be influential!” says Stephanie Lichtenstein, president of Micro Media Marketing, a Chicago-based boutique social media agency. “You have to put in the time. You have to have a strategy in place. But the best way you can become influential is to identify what you’re most passionate about and focus on building knowledge and sharing your expertise about it.”

“Young professionals particularly need to know what they stand for and stay true to those core values and principles,” adds Eva Yazhari, New York-based Beyond Capital co-founder and CEO. “Sharing knowledge and connecting on issues with my peers inspires and motivates me in work and in life,” she explains, observing that the boundaries between personal and professional passions and endeavors often blur and overlap. As a result, causes that young professionals care about personally can potentially become driving factors in their careers.

Yazhari is a real-life testament to that. Drawing on her prior experience in asset management, due diligence, and portfolio construction, as a twenty-something she co-founded Beyond Capital in 2009, a social impact fund that invests in seed-stage, for-profit social enterprises serving impoverished communities in East Africa and India.

“Everyone wields more influence than they realize, regardless of age,” Yazhari says. “Influence and integrity are inextricably linked; if a person is clear and consistent with their vision, others will be inspired to do the same. And when that power is used for bettering the lives of others, the benefits multiply and extend beyond the individual themselves. It’s imperative to nurture your networks, both personal and professional, to extend your impact.”

It’s also important to keep in mind that influence reaches beyond the number of people in your inner circle. One key component in building broad influence is establishing credibility.

“To young professionals seeking to expand their influence, I encourage you to develop relationships founded on trust and respect. This includes being genuinely engaged, listening to all points of view, and being influenced as well,” Ulbrich says.

Yazhari emphasizes her current success stems from the experience she gained in the financial sector where she built solid relationships with professionals across various industries who she continues to “reach out to and learn from today.”

BRANDING INFLUENCE

“Equally important to becoming an influencer is freely contributing your perspectives, questions, and insights,” Ulbrich adds.

Which, as Yazhari puts it, is all part of honing a personal brand: “Craft a compelling presence that’s carefully curated and thoughtfully executed.”

In fact, “Strive: How Doing the Things Most Uncomfortable Leads to Success” author Scott Amyx pointedly says that “job titles will come and go, but what stays with you for life is your personal brand.”

A personal brand starts off by pinpointing characteristics that are uniquely you. “Identify your own set of beliefs and areas of expertise,” Amyx recommends. “Then, share relevant content to a target audience who would find value in your knowledge or beliefs. By becoming a valuable resource for others, you position yourself as a thought leader and open channels for authentic dialog.”

Jennifer McDermott, communications manager for personal finance website finder.com, suggests some effective channels for personal brand-building include “volunteering to speak at industry events, starting a blog, posting relevant content on social media, and contributing commentary to media articles.”

“Consistency in these activities,” she says, “will help you build an audience over time and increase influence.”

“The key, again, is to find an area of passion and begin to write about it, talk about it, vlog [video blog] about it, and share it consistently,” Amyx says, noting that people too frequently underestimate the value of frequency and consistency. “When your audience can reliably predict that you will have recurring content, then they will follow you and anticipate your next post or video.”

To stay relevant, Lichtenstein also recommends collaborating and engaging with other influencers or brands. “You’ll be able to manage the ups and downs of gaining influence as long as you become a tight-knit part of your community,” Lichtenstein says.

There are also lessons to be learned from observing other influencers in how they build and grow their networks and relationships. “As I would encourage any young professional to do, as you’re building and honing your skills, watch how those you respect and admire act and influence others,” O’Connor advises.

After all, different personalities wield influence in different manners. For example, influence can be expressed through charisma, expertise, or incentive, and a successful approach to influencing others depends on the situation.

“A lot of times, the ability to successfully influence a situation or task is dependent on providing the relevant facts and perspectives as to why it’s important,” O’Connor emphasizes. “If one understands the big picture, one can influence a non-believer by using rationale and facts to show that your perspective is the best for the situation.”

One note of importance in today’s increasingly polarized society: In any situation, regardless of whether you agree with someone’s point of view, it’s important to listen to them with respect and empathy. “This shows you care and respect their opinion and adds a level of trust that is the base of influential behavior,” O’Connor explains.

“Influence is a two-way street,” Ulbrich adds. “It’s an opportunity to change, be changed, or both.”

As your influence grows, another challenge will arise: Do you always be your authentic self, or do you develop a greater responsibility for those you influence? How you handle yourself in complicated and delicate situations can make or break your influence. What we’ll leave you with is this: Always consider the impact of your words and actions.