Improve your influence by balancing inquiry and advocacy

Several of my clients recently have struggled with influencing their peers and leaders. Their struggles come in two varieties. Some are overpowering in their approach. They share their perspectives, and when others disagree, they share them again more forcefully. When others don’t come around, they are frustrated and throw their hands up.

Others fail to share a clear point-of-view. They have thoughts and opinions, but they keep them to themselves. They are concerned they will communicate poorly, and this will hurt their careers.

Neither of these approaches best positions these leaders to influence others. In The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, Rick Ross and Charlotte Roberts emphasize the importance of balancing advocacy and inquiry. Advocacy is arguing for your point-of-view. Inquiry is seeking to understand others’ perspectives.

Leaders who advocate for their positions but neglect inquiry turn others off. They are viewed as inflexible and hard to work with. They miss opportunities to collaborate with others and come to better solutions than they would alone. These leaders benefit from intentional focus on inquiry. The more they slow down, ask questions, and listen to others’ perspectives, the more they connect with others and have the opportunity to influence them.

Less assertive leaders benefit from an intentional focus on advocacy. It is usually helpful for these leaders to spend time developing clear points-of-view on key issues and planning how they will express their thoughts in advance.

Whether a leader comes on too strong or not strong enough when influencing others, learning to balance advocacy and inquiry can be a game-changer.