From the Inside Outwards
Being an Influential Leader at Work
Edition 3125 of On Leadership, the third in a series on iLeadership in Workspaces, begins to answer the following personal question:
- How do I go about practicing Influential Leadership at work?
Notice that the question is not how I become an Influential Leader because that suggests Influential Leadership is a state of permanency—it is not. While we are practicing iLeadership we are being Influential Leaders, but when we are not, we are not. This is a critical feature of iLeadership (which is unlike legacy approaches)—we are only Influential Leaders when at a Leadership Moment we exercise Influential Leadership.
It might feel like strange idea at first, but the way it works is like this. When I am on my mountain bike, I am a mountain biker—when I am not attached to my bike, I am not. I have learned to ride a bike, and I ride often so I am fit and skilled, but I must be in the saddle to be a practioner. I can jump on my bike at any moment—I am prepared, able and willing!
The Starting Point Towards Creating a Culture
Who Am I?
The security guard. The receptionist. The newly recruited accountant. The young teacher. The principal. The senior manager. The CEO…
We are all there—every workspace has its collection of workers, from bottom to top and sideways.
Research informs us that almost 80% of ‘workers’ are unengaged—their bodies are there, but not much else. And, these workers might be you and me…
Their ‘unengagedness’ spills over into whether they would even vaguely consider practicing iLeadership.
Those of us who are not fully present in our workspaces have already copped out of leading because it takes effort, courage, responsibility and being fully present.
On Leadership #3125 focusses on the initial step that each of us must take if we care to lead—in our workspaces or anywhere.
Personal Agency
| The capability to act intentionally, make choices, and influence and shape your own life outcomes. It is the deep sense that you are the author of your actions—not just reacting to events, conditions and circumstances, but shaping them. |
The Core Ingredients of Personal Agency
- Responsibility: Owning the consequences of your actions.
- Autonomy: Making decisions independently, even within constraints.
- Self-efficacy: Belief in your ability to achieve goals.
- Intentionality: Acting with purpose rather than passively drifting.
It is Personal Agency that takes us from being un- or semi-engaged to fully engaged in our workspace (and elsewhere).
When someone asks me that question (how do I go about practicing iLeadership at work?) I have a pretty good idea that they fail the Personal Agency test.
If the question was: I have tried such-n-such in my workspace, but it is not having the desired effect, what can I do differently or better—I hear a person with Personal Agency.
Furthermore, unless we have Personal Agency, we cannot take the second step, which is Social Agency. (Which we tackle next week.)
And, both Personal Agency and Social Agency tie into the principle that Albert Schweitzer offers in the infographic above—the power of our personal example—to be present, fully engaged and a person of our word (alignment between our words and actions).
| Think of personal agency like riding a mountain bike through unpredictable terrain. You do not control the rocks or the weather, but you do choose your line, adjust your speed, and decide when to brake or push forward. The terrain shapes your ride—but your Agency determines how you ride it. |
What Must I do?
- Whoever you are, wherever you fit into the workspace, you must take ownership of your Personal Agency.
- At its most basic level, taking ownership, implies that you fully and unconditionally accept you are responsible for your actions to influence and shape the events, conditions and circumstances you find yourself in.
- Sure, the workspace might be horrible, your colleagues might be unpleasant, and none of it might be of your making—but Personal Agency is a deep belief in your capability to nudge things to be better for you.
Start small, build your confidence and capability. Like the keen mountain biker starting off—short rides, low-level technical sections—learn by doing as you go.
Social Agency
Next week we tackle Social Agency—it takes us from our Personal Agency (personal capabilities) to the rest of the workspace—our colleagues and others who are influenced and shaped by us.
If you find yourself in a spot where Personal Agency feels out of reach, let’s chat. We all have those times—talking things through helps us to get our shape back.
Be the example you expect of others…
Regards,
Colin Donian
Karoo Founder & CEO
Influential Leadership is a Culture
Leadership Note # 3125 | 04.08.25
e: colind@karoo.world
Facebook
YouTube
