Research about how managers use influence has a long history and has led to the understanding that leaders can use multiple tactics to build commitment and get results from peers, direct reports, and bosses.
CCL identifies influence as one of four fundamental leader competencies (ranked with self-awareness, learning agility, and communication). Influence emerges in different ways in many of CCL’s programs: in assessment instruments, in videotaped role-plays, and in scripted vignettes. Influence also plays a supporting role in several of CCL’s Ideas Into Action Guidebooks, reinforcing ideas such as networking among leaders; broaching new ideas in organizations; sharing the accomplishments of your team and yourself; and communicating a vision to groups, teams, and organizations.
A last word: CCL acknowledges the key contributions of David Baldwin and Curt Grayson, who brought the idea of a guidebook about influence tactics to CCL’s publishing program. The first edition of this guidebook, for which David and Curt served as lead contributors, has been one of CCL’s most popular publications. Since the release of the first edition in 2004, CCL has continued to develop notions about influence and move beyond tactics. Even so, the subject of influence tactics—what they are, which ones are effective, which ones are most used—remains important to leaders. This revised, second edition puts the idea of influence tactics in a shared space with other aspects of influence. CCL believes that the practices discussed in this edition constitute one important point in a constellation of its knowledge about influence. It plans to publish more on that topic in order to articulate for its clients and the public a range of influence practices that emerge at different levels of leadership responsibility. It is, then, fitting that CCL look back to thank David and Curt for the collaboration, negotiation, and practical approach that got the ball rolling.