How influential are you, really? Not based on your title or your experience but based on what actually happens after you speak. Do people take action? Do they lean in, or do they check out? Do they feel something, or just hear words?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this as I’ve been curating speakers for an upcoming event focused on influence. I selected three Hall of Fame speakers because each of them has a unique ability to influence an audience. As I looked at what makes them so effective, one thing became very clear. Influence is not just about what you say. It comes down to three things: how you think, how you speak, and how you connect.
It all starts with how you think. Before you ever say a word, your mindset is already shaping your level of influence. Do you truly believe in what you are saying? Do you have conviction behind your message, or are you simply going through the motions? People can feel the difference. If you are leading a team and you are unsure about the direction, they will sense it. If you are presenting an idea and you are hesitant, your audience will hesitate right along with you. Your belief system becomes your signal. When you have strong belief, it creates clarity. That clarity builds confidence, and confidence drives influence. Before your next meeting or presentation, ask yourself if you believe your message enough for someone else to act on it.
The second piece is how you speak. Once your mindset is aligned, your delivery becomes critical. Influential leaders do not just share information. They move people to action. Are you persuasive in how you communicate? Are you clear, compelling, and intentional, or are you hoping your audience simply understands your point? If nothing changes after you speak, then you did not influence, you only informed. There is a difference. Being persuasive is not about being pushy. It is about being purposeful. It means knowing exactly what you want your audience to do next and communicating in a way that makes that next step feel natural and achievable. The next time you speak, do not just evaluate how well you presented. Ask yourself if you moved people to take action.
The third piece, and in many ways the most important, is how you connect. You can have the right mindset and say all the right words, but if you do not connect, your message will not stick. I believe that connection happens as a result of authenticity. People do not connect with perfection; they connect with what is real. If you try to present yourself as someone you are not, your audience will sense it immediately. When you show up as your true self, you build trust, and trust is what allows influence to happen.
A bonus to connecting? Humor! Not forced humor, but natural, human moments that make people feel at ease. When people are laughing, they are listening. When they are laughing, they are learning. And when they are laughing, they are connecting.
If you want to increase your influence, do not overcomplicate it. Focus on strengthening how you think, sharpening how you speak, and deepening how you connect. That is how you move from simply being heard to being felt and ultimately to being followed. Influence is not about having the floor. It is about what happens after you leave it. You are influencing all the time, whether you realize it or not. The question is whether you are doing it on purpose. Step into your next conversation, your next meeting, or your next presentation with intention. That is where real influence lives.
Your Head Usher,
Marilyn
