You Don’t Need Permission to Have Influence

How can you create change in the organization, C suite, leadership, the boss, colleagues, co-workers?
Even when the common belief is “they” would never go for the big, new idea/initiative/innovation/investment.

Have an idea? Want to have an impact? Ready to be a Change Agent?

You need influence.

Influence can serve as a catalyst for a meaningful change movement. To get a big idea over the line consider these 7 keys:

Tell the story:  Make it compelling.  Have an adversary.  Create a vision of the new experience.  Articulate the alternative. Earn emotional commitment for the cause.
Do your homework:  Present compelling evidence:  Prove the concept.  Show examples. Deliver a data set.  Cite case studies.  Leverage competitive intelligence.
Sell the future state:  Speak to the current and future state. Demonstrate cause and effect.  Predict the outcome.  Detail the realized vision.
Build buy in:  This is where your network counts.  Who cares as much as you?  Why should they? What is in it for them?  Why does it matter?  Build authentic relationships.  Invest the time.  Earn respect.  Introduce the worthwhile idea into the agenda.
Challenge the status quo –  Generate interest and ideas that spark innovation and improvement.  Disrupt the death grip on the way  things get done with new, collective thinking.  Performance earns the Change Agent an opportunity to push the business forward.
Have consistent conviction – Take a stand.  Don’t waver without a reason. Be firm in the face of resistance.
Go all in: It is worth it? If you are right. If you believe. If it matters. If it is the difference maker. Then you have to be willing to take some calculated risks and go all the way in. Stopping short doesn’t serve as a catalyst for change.  A real leader puts it on the line.  In or out?

Influence can take time.  It demands credibility.  It mandates preparedness.  It requires trust.  It needs to be earned.

The good news?

You don’t need permission to have influence.