Browse
Log in / Register
Share
Understanding and strategically applying different influencing styles is critical for effective leadership, directly impacting team alignment, project success, and talent retention. Based on mainstream human resources frameworks, influencing techniques are broadly categorized into "push" styles, which are more directive, and "pull" styles, which are collaborative. The most effective leaders can adapt their style to the situation and the individual, a skill that enhances employer branding and internal mobility. This article details nine distinct styles to help you refine your approach.
Influencing styles refer to the specific behaviours and techniques a leader uses to affect the opinions, actions, and professional development of others. In recruitment and talent management, these styles are crucial for everything from guiding a hiring panel to onboarding new employees. The primary categories are:
Mastering both categories allows a manager to navigate complex workplace dynamics, from salary negotiation to driving organizational change.
1. Rationalizing This push style relies on logic, data, and expertise to persuade. Leaders using this technique present clear evidence—such as cost-benefit analyses, performance metrics, or structured interview results—to build an irrefutable case. It is highly effective when proposing a new recruitment process optimization strategy to stakeholders who are focused on ROI and data-driven outcomes. The goal is to lead others to a conclusion through undeniable reasoning.
2. Negotiating The negotiating style seeks a middle ground. A leader using this pull technique understands the value of compromise to achieve a core objective while making others feel their needs are met. This is essential during offer discussions or when resolving conflicts within a team. By making strategic concessions, the leader preserves relationships and builds consensus, ensuring long-term harmony and a positive talent retention rate.
3. Energizing This pull style uses passion and enthusiasm to motivate. An energizing leader can rally a team around a vision, even when specific details are still developing. This is particularly useful for boosting morale during periods of change or when launching a new employer branding initiative. The infectious positivity compensates for a lack of immediate data, inspiring action through emotional connection.
4. Asserting As a definitive push style, asserting involves using authority and confidence to direct action. It is grounded in rules, policies, or urgent necessity. This approach is appropriate for enforcing compliance with legal hiring standards or when a rapid, non-negotiable decision is required. However, it should be used sparingly, as over-reliance can stifle innovation and damage team trust.
5. Accommodating Accommodating influencers prioritize relationships and the needs of others, a key pull style. They will often set aside their own preferences to maintain team harmony, especially after a disagreement. In a talent assessment context, this might involve incorporating feedback from various interviewers to create a final score that values all perspectives. This builds goodwill and fosters a cooperative environment.
6. Persuading Distinct from rationalizing, the persuading style (a push technique) focuses on building an airtight argument with extensive research and evidence. A leader persuading others about a new career development program would present case studies and benchmark data to prove its effectiveness. This method is ideal for securing budget approval or influencing detail-oriented individuals who need comprehensive proof before committing.
7. Inspiring Inspiring leaders use stories, shared mission, and emotional appeal—a classic pull method—to create buy-in. They make complex ideas relatable, helping teams see the broader impact of their work. This style is powerful for communicating company values during the candidate screening process or when motivating employees to adopt a new long-term strategy, making them feel part of something significant.
8. Drawing This pull technique is highly collaborative. Drawing influencers engage others in dialogue, using open-ended questions to understand reservations and co-create solutions. In a structured interview, this style helps uncover a candidate's deeper motivations. By making team members feel heard and valued, this approach secures genuine commitment to a project or goal.
9. Bridging Bridging influencers leverage relationships and networks to build support. They connect people and ideas, using social proof and personal connections to gain trust. This is invaluable when launching cross-departmental initiatives or when a new leader needs to establish credibility quickly by aligning with respected figures within the organization.
To effectively apply these styles, leaders should:
