Shifting Gears: How to Access Your ‘Influencing’ Trait to Ignite Team Momentum

In our previous post, we explored how to shift into “Dominance” (D) to overcome hurdles and drive results. But leadership isn’t always about pushing through the terrain with sheer force. Sometimes, the road isn't "steep"—it's disconnected.

In the Thomas International PPA (Personal Profile Analysis) framework, the Influencing (I) trait is your engine’s high-revving turbo. It is the energy of persuasion, optimism, and verbal communication. While high Compliance (Accuracy) or Steadiness (Stability) leaders provide the map and the fuel, it is the I behavior that gets everyone excited to get in the car.

If your natural style is more reserved or task-oriented, learning to shift into "I" is the key to turning a group of workers into a synchronized team.

Recognizing the Terrain: When to Shift into ‘I’

If you stay in a task-focused gear when the "human element" is flagging, you risk burnout and disengagement. You need to consciously shift into an Influencing gear when:

• Morale is Low: When the team looks "gray," tired, or disconnected from the "Why."

• You Need Buy-In: When a new idea needs "selling," not just announcing.

• Silos are Forming: When people are working in isolation and the "social glue" has dissolved.

• The Message is Complex: When data alone isn't moving people; you need a story to make it stick.

  
  

The Practical ‘How-To’ of Shifting Gears

To access Influencing, you have to move from the functional to the relational. Here is the manual sequence:

1. The Clutch: Release the Data-Dump

High-C or high-D leaders often lead with facts or demands. To shift into "I," you must temporarily disengage from the "What" and focus on the "Who."

• Internal Script: "People support what they help create. To get the result, I must first win the heart."

• The Move: Step away from the screen or the spreadsheet. Lean in, smile, and use open body language.

2. The Shift: Enthusiastic Language

Influencing is powered by verbal energy. To shift gears, you need to add "color" to your communication.

• Low Gear (C/S): "The updated projections indicate a 10% increase in efficiency if we follow this protocol."

• High Gear (I): "Imagine what we could do with the extra time this gives us! This is a game-changer for our work-life balance and our impact on the client."

3. The Accelerator: Positive Reinforcement

Once the energy is up, don't let it drop by pivoting immediately back to "business as usual." Influence requires keeping the social momentum going.

• The Move: Use public praise. Instead of a "Good job" email, give a "Shout-out" in the meeting. Use phrases like "I love the energy here," or "Let’s celebrate this win."

  
  

The "I-Gear" Training Plan

If "shaking hands and kissing babies" feels unnatural to you, start with these low-stakes practice laps:

• The 5-Minute Social Start: Before every meeting, spend the first 5 minutes talking about anything except work. Ask about weekend plans or a recent win. Don’t rush the "small talk"—it's actually "big talk" for an I-style.

• The "Vivid" Pitch: Next time you present a task, don't use a bullet point. Tell a 60-second story about a customer who will benefit from the work. Use "feeling" words rather than "process" words.

• The Positive Interjection: In a tense meeting, practice an "I-intervention." Break the tension with a compliment or a lighthearted observation. "Before we move on, I just want to say how much I appreciate the creative thinking in this room today."

  
  

Summary: Inspiration is a Tool, Not a Personality

A leader who only focuses on the "D" (Results) and "C" (Rules) may reach the destination, but they’ll arrive alone with a broken-down crew.

Your Thomas PPA profile might suggest you prefer the quiet efficiency of the backroads, but as a leader, you must be able to hit the bright lights of the "I" gear when the team needs a spark. Accessing your Influence doesn't make you "fake"—it makes you inspiring.