Span of Control, Sphere of Influence

By Guest Columnist, Jan Andersen

Leadership is more marathon than sprint. To succeed as a leader and not buckle under pressure over time, you need to clearly understand the difference between two things: (1) what you’re actually responsible for (i.e., what’s in your job description) and (2) what you don’t have control over but might be able to affect. In his book “The 8 Essential Skills for Supervisors and Managers,” management consultant Paul Knudstrup called these two arenas span of control and sphere of influence.

Think of a large circle surrounding a smaller one in the center. The small central circle — your span of control — symbolizes your direct decision-making authority. The larger, encompassing circle — your sphere of influence — symbolizes your ability to directly and indirectly influence others, moving them toward what you’d like to see happen. You need to use both to effectively generate action and change.

Every day you have to deal with issues that are outside of your control and decision-making authority. But they affect your work, your team and your productivity, so you need to give them at least some of your attention. This means you definitely need to develop and use skills that will grow your influence. Then, regardless of what happens to your span of control (promotions/demotions, title changes, relocations, company take-overs, etc.) you’ll be able to have a positive influence on the situation. In fact, some of the world’s most effective leaders have had a comparatively small span of control but an enormous sphere of influence (e.g., Frederick Douglass, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain).

Fortunately, your sphere of influence can grow over time. It has porous boundaries that flex depending on the people and circumstances you face. Interested in growing a larger, more positive sphere of influence? Here are a few suggestions.

• • Listen with focus and caring. This can be hard, especially in online settings. But people intuitively know when you’re truly engaged. Listening builds respect and trust, and thus your influence. 
• • Make decisions and act with integrity. This seems obvious, but your ability to positively influence others will grow and shrink based on how they perceive your behavior. This includes apologizing when you’ve made a mistake. 
• • Increase your influence with your boss and others who have decision-making power by raising issues, communicating critical information and making recommendations in a way that they find helpful. For example, do they like to discuss issues or see things in writing? Do they want detailed data or just a general overview? 
• • Actively look for ways to assist or support your team members. This can be as simple as helping someone with the elevator button when their hands are full. Seemingly little things add up to increased influence. 
• • Make sure your messages match your intentions. The content of the words you speak and write are critical, of course, but so is your tone. The tone of your voice and writing will influence how your listeners hear your messages and will shape their responses. 
• • Double-check that you’re making the best use of your clothing and grooming every day. What you wear and how you present yourself has a significant psychological influence on your perceptions of yourself and on how others will respond to you. 
• • Finally, be specific about what you’re trying to accomplish. People tend to be influenced by those who appear to have well-defined goals and the ability to communicate them clearly.

Overall, remember that your professional brand includes others’ perceptions of your influence and how willing they are to follow your informal lead. A large, positive sphere of influence will help to build your brand over time, leading toward success in life.

Jan Andersen
Jan Andersen is the owner of Wordworks Kalamazoo.