Leverage vs Influence

One of my friends, Zach, shared his view that there exists two types of leaders, those who lead with Leverage and those who lead with Influence.

(Note: for simplicity's sake, throughout this piece, the Leverage Leader is referenced as “he” and the Influence Leader is referenced as “she”.)

In leading with Leverage, the leader gains his power by establishing his position atop some sort of hierarchy.

• Title in a company

• Status in society

• Money in family

• Intellectual firepower in academics

• Physical strength in sports

In some way, the leader has developed leverage over a group of followers. The followers are inclined to take orders because of some type of fear.

• Fear of loss

• Fear of punishment

• Fear of retribution

• Fear of missing out

Examples:

• The boss who fires the rising star on the team because he's threatened by their innovative ideas

• The socialite who uninvites the charming friend who stole the show at last week’s dinner party

• The wealthy grandfather who threatens to “write you out of the will” should you not abide by his demands

• The genius who uses big words & logical trickery to confuse the presenter of any opinion that doesn’t support his own

• The brutish Captain of the football team who enforces hitting drills on any teammate who questions his authority

The leader leading with Leverage worships the hierarchy that grants him his power, so he will do whatever's necessary to preserve its existence & fortify his position atop it, even at the expense of his followers.

Tactics might include:

• Weaponizing his position to punish any who oppose him

• Changing the rules to bolster his strength

• Suppressing followers who show strength where he has weakness

• Exiling dissenters who threaten to expose the limitations of his power or illusory nature of the hierarchy itself

There's a scene in Game of Thrones, where Littlefinger (follower) threatens to expose Cersei (leader) with incriminating information. Upon the threat, she orders her armed guards to kill Littlefinger, before pulling back the blade at the last second. An All-Star Leverage Leader, Cersei flexed her position as Queen to order the death of a dissenter. Despite showing mercy & sparing Littlefinger's life, she showed that she had little regard for his well-being. Thus, she made an enemy that day...

Those who lead with Leverage will never feel fully confident in their position. They'll always be looking over their shoulder.

They derive their power from their followers, so this power is only sustained for as long as their followers buy-in.

The followers' fear incentivizes their conformity. The follower's internal monologue might read: "I know I wasn't the target of the ridicule from the head honcho today, but I definitely don't want to be the target of their attack tomorrow. So, I'll just keep my mouth shut and agree with whatever he has to say."

However, even amidst their conformity, the followers secretly want to see the Leverage Leader fail. They hate seeing him enjoy the spoils of success by using a tactic of coercion.

Therefore, if the followers' fear ever transitions to fearlessness or the followers just get fed up with the repressive tactics, then the Leverage Leader can expect a revolution.

And he knows this. He knows an overthrow awaits. He knows he's not loved. He knows that fear is his only weapon for keeping his followers at-bay. He knows it's just a matter of time (unless, of course, he retires first).

So, he continues to perpetuate his fear-driven system. He must. Because he'll be forever paranoid that, if he lets his guard down, then his followers will attempt to usurp his position.

GoodNews: Leading with Leverage isn't the only option.

There exists another type of leader: The Influence Leader

Admittedly, this is a more challenging way to come to power. However, it's far more sustainable once you get there.

To lead with Influence, you need:

1. Good Ideas: followers aren't inclined to follow someone who won't win in the long run

2. Assumption of Best Intentions: followers can expect a better outcome (or a better life) by following this leader

Good ideas are tablestakes because followers want to join a winning team. If she doesn't have good ideas, then she probably doesn't belong leading a group in the first place.

Then comes the follower's question of "Does this leader actually care about me?"

If the answer is "Yes", then the follower wants to promote the leader's success. Because the leader's success becomes the follower's success.

Examples of Best Intentions:

• Star Quarterback who gives away all the credit to the Offensive Linemen for doing a great job protecting him

• CEO who cuts his bonus when times are hard to ensure the team is getting paid sufficiently

• Vice President who takes the fall for her Analyst's mistakes after being ridiculed by the boss

• Prime Minister who's willing to delegate decision-making to a top aid who has superior expertise

The Influence Leader gives away the credit and takes the blame. That's how she sustains her position. And that's how she creates a team that wins in the long run.

Followers buy-in to the belief that we're in this together. When that's the case, the teammates are willing to go the extra mile to contribute to the collective. Because they know that when the team wins, they win. And when the team loses, they won't be singlehandedly blamed for it.

The Influence Leader sleeps well at night because she knows that her followers aren't plotting to overthrow her. Quite the opposite, she can assume that her followers are rooting for her success. They're boosting her up & scheming how to help her win. Because they know that if she wins, then they win too.

Why does the team led by an Influence Leader win in the end?

Because the team operates at a different level when they're not just taking orders. Peak performance comes when everyone's bought in to a shared vision and has a genuine desire to follow the leader.