Moving from valued contributor to a position of influence is a step too far for many. They want it, but they don’t get there because they don’t pay attention to the foundations that influence-building requires.

Influence is more than a position on an organisational chart. According to University of Maryland sociologists Jeff Lucas and Amy Baxter, influence compels others to act because of the “respect and esteem in which one is held”. Influence gets people to act without inducements of reward or threats of punishment.