30 Examples of Personal Influence

John Spacey, updated on November 02, 2023

Personal influence is the capacity of an individual to change the thoughts, emotions and actions of others. This is a talent that is greatly amplified by social position such as authority, relationships and social status. The following are common types of personal influence.

Argument & debate skills	Body language
Charismatic authority	Communication skills
Credibility	Cultural capital
Expert authority	Eye contact
Formal authority	Grit & resilience
Handling criticism	Media presence
Networking	Personal presence
Persuasion skills	Political acumen
Presentation skills	Public speaking
Reading emotion	Reading intentions
Relational capital	Relationship building
Resolving conflict	Social skills
Social status	Storytelling
Using emotion	Verbal communication
Visual communication	Writing

Persuasion

Persuasion is the art of convincing others of your position. If you are talented in this area, you may exercise much influence beyond your social position and status.

Cultural Capital

Cultural capital is the ability to influence in the context of a culture. This includes the credibility you are able to build in a particular cultural context. For example, a sports person who tends to resonate with other sports people such that they can more easily influence people who are immersed in this culture.

Relational Capital

Relational capital is the value of the relationships that you build. Generally speaking, if you know many people your capacity to influence societies, cultures, communities and organizations may increase.