35 Types Of Influence

John Spacey, updated on October 03, 2023

Influence is the power to change the opinions, direction, decisions and actions of others. This occurs in every social group from societies down to small groups such as families or groups of friends. The following are the common types of influence.

Charismatic influence	Coalition building
Coercive influence	Credibility
Cultural capital	Ethos
Expert authority	Fame
Formal authority	Kairos
Logos	Pathos
Peer pressure	Productive influence
Referent power	Relational capital
Social relationships	Social status
Storytelling	Transactional influence

Charismatic influence is the process of using social skills to influence others.

Coalition building is the process of generating support with consultation.

Coercive influence is the use of power to force things through.

Cultural capital is the ability to influence within a particular culture.

Pathos is influencing with emotion.

Ethos is an appeal to authority.

Logos is a logical or rational argument.

Referent power is the ability to influence because you are respected by others.

Relational capital is a term for relationships that have future value. This is often used to influence. For example, a sales person who knows many people in your company such that they can pressure you to buy.

Productive influence is when you have influence because you are the one doing the work.

Transactional influence is a reward or punishment that is presented to influence in a particular situation.

Areas of Influence

The following are additional types and areas of influence.

Authority figures	Celebrity influence
Cultural influence	Economic influence
Educational influence	Groupthink
Industry influence	International influence
Media influence	Peer influence
Political influence	Role models
Social influence	Thought leadership
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