Invest in your growth in 2025 by learning to lead with influence

“Empowered. Confident. Optimistic. Supported. Recharged.”

These are some of the words the October 2024 Lead With Influence cohort used to describe how they were feeling at the end of the four-week program.

As the program lead, I was thrilled, because the words reflect some of the training’s main goals — to help participants feel empowered in themselves, to realize they’re not alone, and to return to their jobs re-energized with new skills to try.

Poynter’s virtual Lead with Influence program is designed for leaders without direct reports but who have to work with others to achieve results. It will be offered twice in 2025 — in February and September.

You could be a reporter leading an investigative project. An audience editor who has to train your colleagues on a new workflow. A producer in charge of launching a new program. A communications strategist who has to work across departments on messaging. An editor with a title but no team.

It’s the kind of training I wish I had when I was an informal leader in charge of committees and initiatives.

One of the program’s principles is to be mindful that we’re all humans, which means we have different tendencies and different motivations. If we take the time to understand these differences, we can then begin to figure out how to work more effectively with one another. This is also a core pillar of inclusive leadership.

Some concepts we’ll dive into over the live sessions, which include small group discussions:

• Learn more about your colleagues and yourself through user manuals. For example, if your colleagues know you like direct feedback, how would that benefit your interactions?
• Understanding how your preferred leadership style — collaborator, energizer, pilot, provider, harmonizer, forecaster, producer, composer — impacts how your work and how you work with someone who doesn’t have the same dominant style.
• Techniques for giving and receiving intentional feedback. You’ll learn why “Do you have any feedback for me?” is not a good question, and practice how to use the situation-behavior-impact model for feedback conversations.

As a result of this program, people have negotiated higher salaries and promotions, changed the way they lead meetings, and used our exercises to learn more about their colleagues.

Here’s one testimonial from a participant in the October 2024 session: “This course has pushed me past my limitations in the best way. I felt like there were holes in the way I lead and this course provided the tools for me to fill those holes. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone by speaking up and having those difficult conversations that I’ve been battling with. I’ve learned how to fight for myself, how to speak clearly with intent and how to be a better leader in my organization.”

This is a great reminder that setting aside time to reflect on yourself can lead to great benefits. I love leading this program because it gives participants skills and ideas on how to feel more in control of their careers.

If you are a leader who can benefit from this kind of support, please join us in 2025. The cost is $600 and each session is from 1-5 p.m. Eastern. You’ll continue to have access to the training materials after the program is over.

We have two sessions available:

Think of it as an investment in your own growth. And if you are a leader who has the power to send someone to this program, please do. It’s an investment in your people, and your support will have a lasting impact.