People follow what they see. In high-performing teams, leadership is often measured by behavior, not titles. And influence, real influence, comes from showing up with clarity and consistency.
It’s measurable too. 80% of customers say they trust a company more when the CEO has a visible presence on social media. Internally, 80% of employees feel more engaged and rate their CEO as a better leader when that presence is strong.
Influence shapes culture, drives momentum, and builds alignment across teams. In IT and MSP businesses where execution and credibility matter most, leaders who understand the mechanics of influence don’t just deliver results, they earn followership.
In this blog, we’ll break down how to lead with influence, not just authority. You’ll get practical ways to inspire action, foster engagement, and create a leadership presence your team and clients actually respond to.
Influence is the ability to move people, not by command, but by conviction. It’s how leaders shape behavior, spark change, and align teams toward a common goal, without leaning on hierarchy or job titles to get there.
History offers powerful proof of this. Think of Malala Yousafzai, a teenager with no formal power, yet with the ability to move world leaders and rewrite global conversations about education. Or closer to the business world, consider Satya Nadella’s cultural overhaul of Microsoft. He didn’t start with sweeping policy changes; he started by reshaping how people thought, talked, and listened to each other, starting at the top.
Now shift that lens to an IT/MSP context.
Let’s say you're a service desk lead managing a team spread across time zones. The processes are sound, but morale is low and ticket escalations are climbing. You don’t have executive clout or budgetary control, but you do have influence. You sit down with team leads to understand what’s not working. You shift the tone of standups from task-checking to problem-solving. You start highlighting wins publicly, letting the team see progress in real time. Within weeks, team energy shifts, and so does performance.
That’s influence in action.
In high-pressure, high-velocity industries like IT/MSPs leadership influence is somewhat of a baseline. And here’s why:
Having deep technical knowledge earns respect. But influence earns followership. Your team needs to see how your actions match your principles, especially in moments of pressure. Are you transparent when timelines slip? Do you own mistakes, or shift blame? Do you advocate for your team behind closed doors? That’s what shapes loyalty, not just your certifications.
Budgets fluctuate. Headcount hits caps. But influence stretches further than either. Leaders who consistently check in, give credit, and make people feel heard see stronger team engagement, even without bonuses or perks. In this field, where burnout is real, influence is often the difference between quiet quitting and showing up with purpose.
Change in IT isn’t optional, it’s constant. The best leaders know how to frame that change. They don’t just announce new tools or policies; they translate why it matters, who it helps, and how it connects to the bigger picture. Influence makes adoption smoother, buy-in faster, and friction less painful.
Influence sets the tone. When you lead with integrity and consistency, others mirror that. You create space where cross-functional teams communicate better, engineers share knowledge proactively, and people speak up when something feels off. That’s how scalable, resilient cultures are built.
Influence doesn’t require a job title, it requires intention. The most effective leaders know that their ability to move people starts with how they show up, communicate, and connect. These aren’t mere traits. Rather, they are skills that can be built. Below are key strategies leaders can practice to drive action and build meaningful momentum across their teams.
Influence starts with self-belief. When a leader genuinely believes they can create impact, that confidence becomes contagious.
Take, for example, a senior systems engineer who’s been asked to lead a cross-functional deployment. They don’t have executive backing or formal authority over the team, but they’ve done the work. They understand the architecture, they’ve mapped the dependencies, and they show up with a calm, solutions-first mindset. Their confidence gives the team direction, even without hierarchy. That’s personal power at work.
Sometimes, influence means being the one who names what no one else is saying. When leaders voice concerns, advocate for the team, or challenge outdated processes, it shows courage and commitment — and earns trust.
Picture a help desk lead in an MSP who raises a recurring SLA issue during a leadership call. It’s not a glamorous conversation, but it’s necessary. By bringing data, suggesting improvements, and framing the issue through the lens of client impact, they spark real change. They didn’t wait for permission to lead, they spoke up and moved the team forward.
People aren’t motivated by task lists, they’re motivated by meaning. Purpose-driven leadership connects the dots between the work being done and the outcomes that matter.
For example, an MSP project lead rolling out a new remote monitoring platform doesn’t just assign tasks. They start the kickoff by reminding the team that this deployment will reduce client downtime by 30%, protecting businesses and reputations. That simple reframing shifts the energy from “just another project” to “we’re doing something important.”
Purpose is the north star. When teams understand the “why,” the “how” gets easier.
Storytelling is one of the most effective tools in a leader’s communication toolbox. A good story makes strategy tangible and values memorable.
Imagine a cybersecurity lead explaining the importance of endpoint protection. Instead of rattling off features, they share how one client avoided a ransomware attack because of proactive patching and how that saved the business from six figures in recovery costs. That story sticks. It motivates better than any bullet point could.
When people feel the impact of their work, they show up differently.
The best leaders don’t just talk, they also listen. Engagement grows when people feel seen, heard, and valued.
Make time for feedback loops. Highlight progress publicly. Ask the quieter voices for their take during sprint reviews. Simple actions like these build ownership and trust, especially in technical teams where autonomy is valued.
Consider these strategies as habits that create consistent influence over time. By building personal power, leading with purpose, and connecting through storytelling and active engagement, leaders in IT/MSP environments can inspire more than action. They can shape culture, momentum, and real transformation.
Strategy alone doesn’t drive influence, execution does. The best IT/MSP leaders turn intention into impact by consistently applying practical techniques that build trust, drive alignment, and motivate teams to act.
In fast-paced IT/MSP environments, empathy is essential. It helps leaders connect, build trust, and keep teams motivated under pressure. A leader who pauses to understand why a technician keeps missing deadlines might uncover that they’re juggling conflicting priorities without support. That kind of insight leads to smarter resource planning , not assumptions and blame.
What to do:
Clear communication keeps projects on track. Adaptable communication keeps teams engaged. When a leader rolls out a new RMM tool, they don’t use the same message for engineers and account managers. Engineers get deep technical specs, while account managers hear how it impacts the client experience: both feel informed and aligned.
What to do:
Vision creates direction. Purpose creates meaning. When a leader sets a goal to cut response times by 50%, they don’t just throw up a number, they show the human side: less client frustration, stronger SLA performance, and more team wins. That connection turns metrics into motivation.
What to do:
Influence comes from how you lead when no one’s watching. It’s in how you speak up, how you listen, how you make others feel seen, and how you help your team see where they’re headed and why it matters.
Throughout this blog, we’ve explored the mindset and actions that make leaders not just effective, but influential. These aren’t lofty ideals, they’re practical, learnable skills. And the best part? You don’t have to wait for a promotion to start practicing them.
If you're ready to lead with more purpose, clarity, and impact, the Emerging Leaders Program at MSP+ was built with you in mind. Over 10 weeks, you’ll gain the tools, mentorship, and confidence to turn potential into momentum and influence into real leadership.
Click the link below to learn more and take the next step in your leadership journey.