What’s Blocking Your Influence?
Welcome to another Toolkit Tuesday! Every week, our goal is to give you a practical leadership tool to put in your toolkit.
So There We Were…
We were sitting around the table with one of our longtime clients, a team of senior managers from across their organization. As we walked through the Influence Model together, something powerful happened.
This team has a mix of voices: three Nurturers, one Guardian and one Pioneer. As we discussed how different people build trust and what each person looks for in a meaningful working relationship, the Pioneer got quiet for a moment. Then came the insight.
The Pioneer leaned forward and reflected, “I’m beginning to realize that not everyone views Competency the way I do. I’ve been building trust based on results, but I haven’t fully considered that others might prioritize Character first. I have a lot to learn from the Nurturers around this table.”
That’s what happens when a leader is willing to look in the mirror and ask the hard questions. It starts with self-awareness, then the realization that something has to change to build deeper influence. That shift is where real leadership begins.
The Challenge
Most leaders assume others build trust the same way they do. So we lead with what works for us by delivering results, being likable, showing loyalty or being precise. We do this without realizing others may value something completely different.
The breakdown isn’t usually about intention. It’s about mismatched trust filters. And when trust doesn’t land, influence doesn’t stick.
The Tool: The Influence Model
The Influence Model gives us a clear, practical framework for how trust is built—and how influence grows from that trust.
Before someone is willing to follow your lead, they subconsciously evaluate you through one or more of four trust filters. Each filter asks a different core question:
Character – Do I trust you? Are you a person of integrity? Are you for me or for yourself?
Chemistry – Do I like you? Do I connect with you and enjoy spending time with you?
Competency – Are you competent? Do you know what you're talking about? Do you communicate that competence with confidence? Do you have a proven track record?
Credibility – Is it relevant to me? Can you take your expertise, understand the complexity of my world and design a solution that helps me succeed?
Each person prioritizes these filters differently. What builds trust with one person may not matter as much to another.
That’s where the 5 Voices come in:
Nurturers, Creatives and Guardians naturally lead with Character
Connectors build trust through Chemistry
Pioneers gain trust through Competency
If you’re unaware of your own default filter, or if you assume everyone builds trust the same way, you’ll limit your influence without realizing it. Trust gaps form. Relationships stay shallow. And results suffer.
The goal isn’t to change who you are. It’s to grow beyond your default and build trust the way others need it. That’s where true influence begins.
Why This Matters Now
Leaders are under pressure to perform, but the real lever of performance is influence, not authority. You can’t influence someone who doesn’t trust you, and you can’t earn trust without being intentional about how you show up.
Understanding your Voice helps you identify your default trust filter. But leadership growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone and meet others where they are. That’s how trust grows. That’s how walls come down.
The Result
That Pioneer left with more than a new framework. They walked away with a fresh humility and a desire to learn from the people around them. Imagine the impact on the culture when a high-performing leader says to their team, “I need to learn from you.”
Take Action
Identify your top two trust filters. Is it Character, Chemistry, Competency or Credibility? What might you be blind to?
Let’s talk. Schedule a strategy call and explore how to create a culture where trust leads to influence and influence drives results.
Closing the Loop
That Pioneer’s insight reminded me why I love this work. At Khaki Consulting we don’t just share tools. We help leaders grow into the kind of people others trust. And that kind of leader changes everything.
Lead hard!
