Why Influence Is The Only Leadership Skill That Truly Lasts

I will ask you a question first:

What if your title, your role, and even your vision meant nothing if no one was willing to follow you?
This is the raw truth John C. Maxwell highlights in his foundational principle:
“The true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.”

But in today’s fast-moving, trust-deficient, and emotionally complex workplace what does influence really look like? And more importantly, how do you earn it?

As someone who has coached executives and observed leaders rise (or quietly fade) not because of strategy but because of presence I’ve come to see Maxwell’s Law not just as a leadership truth, but as a mirror. It reflects what people feel when they work with you. Influence isn’t just what you say or do it's how people experience you.

Let’s go discuss further.

What Does “Influence Is Leadership” Really Mean?

John Maxwell’s Law of Influence is often quoted but rarely understood at depth.

Too many professionals believe leadership is about authority, visibility, or brilliance. But as Maxwell explains, none of these guarantee followership. Leadership isn’t a title you’re given it’s a permission people grant you, based on trust, credibility, and connection.

Influence is the invisible thread between who you are and how others respond to you.

You Don’t Demand Influence. You Earn It.

And you earn it in quiet moments how you respond under pressure, how you treat those who can’t offer you anything, how consistently you show up with integrity. That’s where influence begins.

Influence Is Not Popularity But It’s Credibility in Action

There’s a growing confusion between being liked and being trusted. Leadership influence is built on trust, not charm.

Some questions worth asking:

• Do people come to you when things are messy?

• Do they feel psychologically safe to disagree with you?

• Would they follow your decision even when it's tough?

If the answer is no, your influence is shallow and likely tied to position, not personhood.

Leaders with real influence don’t win by pleasing everyone. They win by staying aligned with values, being brutally consistent, and caring deeply even when it’s inconvenient.

The Slow, Quiet Work Behind Influence

Here’s what most books won’t tell you: Influence is not an event. It’s a slow, almost invisible process of credibility stacking.

Every day, you’re either earning or losing leadership capital.

Influence grows when:

• You admit your mistakes before others find them.

• You give credit even when it costs you visibility.

• You hold space for hard conversations without defensiveness.

• You make people feel seen especially when they feel invisible.

These are not tactics. They’re a way of being.

In one executive coaching session, a CEO asked,

“Why aren’t my managers stepping up like I did when I was their age?”

The real answer was hard to digest:

“Because they don’t feel what you felt that someone believed in you, fought for you, mentored you.”

"Influence begins when people feel emotionally safe and professionally respected".

Influence Cannot Be Delegated

You can delegate operations. You can delegate decision-making. But you cannot delegate influence.

Many senior leaders outsource culture-building to HR or internal communications teams, hoping that perks or motivational emails will do the job.

But culture doesn’t respond to policies it responds to presence.

A McKinsey report (2023) found that employees are 5x more likely to report strong engagement and performance when senior leaders are consistently visible and emotionally authentic. That’s influence not perks, not branding.

"The most influential leaders are not the busiest they are the most emotionally available".

Influence Without Ego, NOW The Final Test Of Leadership

One of the hardest transitions for a leader is learning to use influence without using control.

The higher you rise, the more you’re tempted to enforce, not inspire.

But real influence is rarely loud. It doesn’t need to assert itself. It shows up in:

• Listening more than speaking

• Choosing alignment over attention

• Trusting others to lead without you

I often ask leaders, “If you left today, would your values still shape the culture tomorrow?”
If the answer is no, your influence hasn’t yet matured.

Influence Is The Legacy You Leave Behind

Leadership ends when the applause fades. But influence? That lingers.

Your real influence is not measured while you’re in the room it’s measured after you’ve left it.

• It shows up in how people speak of you.

• It shows up in decisions others make when no one’s watching.

• It shows up in the confidence you planted in someone who once doubted themselves.

And that’s the ultimate question every leader must ask:

Am I building something that outlasts my presence?

Final Tip: What Kind Of Leader Are You Becoming

If you stripped away your title today, who would still listen to you?

Influence isn’t a personality trait. It’s a leadership practice. One built over time through consistency, integrity, emotional presence, and quiet acts of courage.

The Law of Influence is not a motivational quote it’s a lifelong invitation to lead with depth, not noise.

So, what kind of leader are you becoming? One who commands, or one who compels?

If you’re ready to lead beyond your role to build influence that transforms teams, not just directs them start small.

• Start by showing up today with presence, clarity, and courage.

Because someone is always watching and they’re deciding whether or not to follow.