By Neela Bettridge
May 2025
In today’s complex, fast-moving business environment, the ability to influence others is no longer a “nice to have” leadership trait—it is foundational to strategic success. As organizations continue to operate in increasingly matrixed structures, with heightened ambiguity, speed, and global interdependence, leaders must influence without relying solely on authority. Influence is about gaining traction for ideas, aligning diverse stakeholders, and achieving meaningful outcomes—even when the levers of formal power are out of reach.
Effective influence is not manipulation. It is not about exerting control. It is about understanding what others need in order to commit, not just comply. It is the ability to shape thinking, inspire action, and build momentum through trust, relationship, and clarity.
The Three Roles of Influence in Organizations
There are three key types of people when it comes to influence: actors, blockers, and oilers.
- Actors are the visible movers. They generate energy, take action, and often drive momentum in transformation or innovation. But not all actors hold the same weight; understanding who they are and the level of power they carry is critical to building alignment.
- Blockers are often hidden sources of resistance. They may not oppose directly, but their passive resistance can quietly halt progress. That being said, the instinct to avoid them is a mistake. These individuals often resist because they feel unheard or uncertain about outcomes. Building trust and addressing their concerns is vital.
- Oilers are the often-overlooked connectors. These individuals, while not always in formal leadership positions, understand the culture, build bridges, and enable movement. They are trusted and have deep informal networks. Recognizing and empowering them can unlock systems that might otherwise stay stuck.
When I coach leaders, one of the most impactful exercises is mapping these roles in the context of a specific initiative or decision. By identifying who plays the role of actor, blocker, or oiler related to a particular goal, leaders gain clarity on where influence flows and where resistance might stall progress. As initiatives evolve or new decisions arise, the map must be revisited and adjusted to reflect the shifting dynamics.
Influence in Matrixed, Fast-Paced Environments
Modern organizations rarely offer linear reporting lines or absolute authority. Leaders must work across regions, functions, and cultures. In these matrixed environments, influence becomes the currency of leadership.
Strategic initiatives often require alignment from legal, finance, product, and HR teams—many of whom don’t report to the leader driving the initiative. Influence is what moves these pieces into place. And in high-speed, high-stakes contexts, it’s the leader who can influence thoughtfully and inclusively who gets results.
Influence also demands cultural agility. What builds trust and agreement in one cultural setting may fall flat in another. Leaders must be attuned to context and prepared to adapt their approach accordingly.
Influence is Relationship
At its core, influence is relational. Leaders who influence effectively understand the needs, perspectives, and concerns of others. They listen deeply, tailor messages accordingly, and connect outcomes to shared purpose. This relational equity is what creates movement.
In one engagement, I worked with a senior leader in engineering at a global pharmaceutical firm. Her large-scale transformation initiative had stalled. She led with logic and data but had neglected the relational work of influence. Together, we rebuilt her strategy to include actors, blockers, and oilers. She adjusted her tone, built informal networks, and reframed her messaging around patient impact. Her initiative gained traction. The key shift was from pushing data to building connection.
Early Influence: Spotting Potential
Contrary to popular belief, influential leaders are not always extroverted or charismatic. Some of the most powerful influencers I’ve worked with are quiet performers—steady, trusted, and respected.
For talent leaders identifying emerging leaders with influence potential, look for:
- Trust earned across functions
- Consistent behavior and emotional steadiness
- Active listening and framing skills
- Bridge-building across levels
- High integrity and quiet credibility
- Individuals others choose to follow voluntarily
These are the leaders who can unify, align, and create followership. They become natural nodes in the organizational network, often before they hold formal power.
Influence Drives Business Outcomes
When influence is absent, the cost is real. Teams disengage. Decisions stall. Deadlines are missed. Innovation slows. Microcultures of dysfunction emerge. High performers leave.
Influence, when done well, translates strategy into action. It creates clarity and fosters psychological safety. It encourages buy-in rather than compliance. Influential leaders ensure that individuals across a system understand not just what needs to be done, but why it matters and how they contribute.
It is influence that brings cohesion to hybrid teams, alignment to transformation, and resilience to crisis.
Executive Coaching as a Catalyst for Influence
Unlike leadership training or mentorship, executive coaching is highly personalized. It surfaces blind spots, encourages real-time behavior shifts, and addresses both the internal and external dimensions of influence.
Executive coaching allows leaders to:
- Understand how they are perceived
- Adapt their influencing style to different stakeholders
- Manage resistance with empathy
- Improve their emotional impact
- Develop presence and credibility
Most importantly, executive coaching builds self-awareness. Leaders gain the capacity to pause in the moment and choose a more effective behavior—one rooted in intention, not reaction.
Influence at Scale
Developing influence across an organization means embedding it in the culture. Start with simple, consistent practices:
- Build regular feedback loops at all levels
- Create space for reflection in team meetings
- Encourage listening as a leadership norm
- Offer coaching at critical transitions, such as onboarding or role shifts
And finally, I encourage you to see influence as part of how you define leadership. It’s not a soft skill; it’s a strategic one. Leaders who influence well drive performance, engagement, and change.
If we want strategy to advance from PowerPoint slides to action, influence is the bridge.
Neela Bettridge is an executive coach with more than 25 years of experience helping senior leaders increase their impact through ethical leadership, inclusive culture, and effective influence. She works with CoachSource and clients worldwide across sectors including pharmaceutical, tech, professional services, and finance.
Interested in how executive coaching can build influence within your leadership team? Contact CoachSource to start the conversation.