So Imposter syndrome is not new. We have all heard of it in different guises - imposter syndrome, the lizard voice .. that little annoying voice that tells you you aren’t good enough

Does of any of this resonate - you feel totally inadequate,  incompetent or a failure despite evidence to the contrary?

Deep down you feel like a complete fraud–and dismiss any success you have to ‘luck’?

As you get more senior you tend to build up more authority, and you also have more experience. Both great traits to have for influencing others!

The thing is, the further up the tree you get, the stakeholders you need to influence are also more experienced, more discerning and as a general rule, extremely time poor. This combination means that not only do they need to make decisions fast, but they are also bombarded with others asking something of them.

In my experience, influencing is like any other skill. You get better at it as you practise it more, and get more experience. For me, it’s always been a mix of being able to really listen, put yourself in other people’s shoes, build genuine and authentic relationships and be naturally curious. 

Note how not once did I mention….and then you ask for something!

For me those skills are the foundational skills and traits of brilliant influencers, who can take others on a journey with them and build relationships of trust.

I’m always interested in what high performers do – especially those who have huge roles. 

A few years ago, two professors, Nitlin Nohria and Michael Porter at Harvard Business School, conducted a study into how CEOs spend their time. They found that despite their huge roles and the responsibility that went with it, top CEOs were very disciplined with their time away from work.

Have you ever had a team member that can’t make a decision? They are constantly asking for other people’s opinions and thoughts before they make any action, no matter how small?

I recently had an example of this with a leader I was coaching. One of her team members had been charged with organising a cocktail party for the broader business, a job she had volunteered for.

In my career, I never believed that everyone was destined to become a leader of people. Early in my career, it held no interest for me. Over time though, through experience and great leaders of my own, I made the jump and took on my first leadership role.

Now with more years experience than I can count behind me, I reflect on leaders I have worked with and for, and wonder whether they should ever have been leaders at all.

My answer is...

When you appoint someone into their next role - there is loads of focus on their capability, their suitability and making the appointment.

But what happens when the exciting announcement has been made? When you give the good news (and who doesn’t love to give good news) and they are over the moon to be given the opportunity, everyone is excited and energised.

But… how long does this last?

So business is booming, and you need some employees. Simple, right? Wrong. You don’t need some employees, you need the right employees. But where do you find them and more importantly – how do you attract and retain them?

Whether you are actually a CEO or not is beside the point. This one is all about getting into the mindset of someone who is operating at the highest level in business.

I know from experience that when you are operating as a CEO – your mindset is totally different – and it needs to be! You no longer have the luxury of diving into all the detail, or as one of my clients describes it – dropping back into the whirlwind.

One of the biggest challenges for new CEOs and senior leaders is to actually step out and away from the familiar and into new territory.

As a leader, you have the opportunity and privilege to influence others. Your influence on others – like it or not – is high. If you model great behaviours, your team will emulate those – model poor behaviours and the same thing is likely to happen.