Being a leader has many benefits — there is more control in the job, more decision-making power, and more autonomy at work. However, it also comes with higher expectations and thus, more stress. A good leader is expected not to just perform and deliver, but also to inspire others to perform well in good and bad times.

For some people, “influence” feels like a dirty word. But being able to convince people through logical, emotional, or cooperative appeals is a component of being an inspiring, effective leader. Influence is quite different from manipulation, and it needs to be done authentically and transparently. It requires emotional intelligence and trust-building.

We live in a rapidly changing world, where businesses and even entire industries are routinely disrupted and upended. Organizations are wondering how to develop learning-agile high potentials to face these challenges, because adaptiveness and creative problem-solving are critical skills in the leadership they need for the future.