INFLUENCE THINKSHEET

We are living in a time of profound complexity where systems are destabilizing, identities are in flux, and the pace of change has outpaced our inherited ways of thinking and working. 

In this context, transformation can no longer be confined to technologies, products, or organizational strategies. It must become human centric. This is the premise of Human Innovation, a novel discipline focused on how we evolve as individuals and what we build in the world. It invites a deeper, more personal exploration fueled by clarity, creativity, and courage. 

At the heart of this discipline are four foundational capabilities that every human innovator must develop: Ambition, Agency, Adaptability, and Influence. These are meta-skills, cross-domain capacities that form the internal infrastructure required to thrive amid complexity. They shape how we perceive challenges, make decisions, adjust to change, and influence the systems we’re part of. 

Practicing Human Innovation begins with the continual cultivation and advancement of these inner capacities as the foundation for meaningful growth, leadership, and impact. 

Influence Capability 

Influence is the ability to move ideas, decisions, and outcomes with clarity, effectiveness, and trust. As traditional hierarchies dissolve and complexity rises, influence has become a vital capability that’s rooted in credibility, emotional intelligence, and producing meaningful impact. At the Human Innovation Institute, we help individuals and teams build this learnable capability by honing their self-awareness, contextual intelligence, and narrative skill to influence with integrity and impact across functions and systems.   

We believe influence can be learned and practiced. It requires knowing your message and understanding your audience, reading the context, and communicating in a way that resonates and mobilizes. Our work supports individuals and teams in developing the tools, self-awareness, and narrative skill to influence with integrity and impact across functions, systems, and levels of power.   

Download this worksheet below to increase your influence and impact.