Good Leaders: How do you lead through influence?

Heidi Humphrey wants to make sure her kids understand the impact of their mom’s work.

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Heidi is the Director of Client Experience at U.S. Bank, and when each of her daughters turned nine, she brought them to a local branch to open a savings account. “We talk about how important it is to save money, and how banks keep that money safe. I want them to have that influence early on.” Her commitment to leading through influence – whether with her kids or her colleagues – grew from Good Leadership Training.

Taking Risks

After 7 years at U.S Bank, Heidi was asked to take over Client Relations – an area that needed her skills, but also promised a major learning curve. “I wanted to make an impact, but this new position would feel like starting over. Looking back, I’m so glad I took this opportunity…and without Good Leadership Training, I might have made the wrong decision.” In Training, Heidi completed a Seven Year Plan that painted a picture of what was most important in her life and career. “I saw that my goals centered on working with and reporting to strong leaders – both of which were key elements of the position in Client Relations.” Heidi was more comfortable taking the risk to move to a new area because she had taken the time to get to know herself deeply with our facilitators.

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“In Training, I learned that I had a myopic view of leadership. I thought it was all based on an org chart: the higher you go, the better you are.” When Heidi started leading through influence, those barriers melted away. In her new area, she works with an array of partners – tech, operations, consumer bank, you name it. “I integrate all my partners’ perspectives when I lead a project, so that it doesn’t matter where you are on an org chart. It’s all about what each person brings to the table.”

What’s Internal Is External

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Not only did Training shape her personal transition, but Heidi has brought Good Leadership principles to her new area as well. She knows that team culture affects how individual employees interact with clients, and she challenges the good leaders around her to create a top-notch experience. “What’s internal is external, when it comes to client relations. We need to constantly be evolving in a positive direction.” I led an internal conference with Heidi and her team about a year ago, and we had an incredible time discussing personal leadership: how one individual’s actions can impact an entire organization.

“We underestimate how connected every component is in a business.” Training reminded Heidi of that right before she entered the Client Experience role, where that connectedness is king. Outsiders don’t think about the silos within an organization…they only think about their personal interaction with the technology and employees!

Almost two years later, she is still an advocate of the course. “I wish more leaders in business would go through Good Leadership Training. It’s only going to get harder to lead in business, as technology ramps up and generations emerge, and Training teaches leaders how everything is connected – and about the impact that they can have.”

Good leaders lead through influence, not just through their position on an org chart. And they identify where the greatest impact can be made by seeing the interconnectivity within a business.

Please share with me: how do you lead through influence?[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]