The 5Gs of influence: A roadmap to build the skill of the moment

Let’s be honest: most leadership challenges don’t come from spreadsheets or strategy decks. They come from people. Specifically, from trying to get people on board with your ideas when you’re not their boss - and maybe not even in their team.

Welcome to the wonderfully messy, very human world of influencing.

Whether it’s cross-functional projects, hybrid teams, or the daily dance of ‘getting stuff done’, having your ideas heard and supported isn’t always about having the right answer.

It’s about having the right approach.

That’s why I created the 5Gs Influence Roadmap: a practical framework to help leaders build trust, frame ideas, and create momentum even when they don’t have a title to lean on.

A framework for everyday influence

The 5Gs gives leaders a structure for becoming more intentional, confident, and effective when influencing others, whether in 1:1 conversations or presenting to a roomful of stakeholders. It helps them to have greater influence at work by focusing on what they do before, during, and beyond the conversation.

Here’s a quick look at the five steps:

Groundwork

Know your organisation, build your network, and spot power (formal and informal). Notice how decisions really get made. This is your pre-season training - build it before you need it.

Goodwill

Influence runs on trust. Be helpful, show up consistently, and share credit generously. Basically: be someone people want to say yes to. Influence flows more easily when the relationship account is in credit.

Greater Good

Frame your ideas around what matters most to the organisation, not just you. Connect your proposal to something bigger than personal or team interests. Shared purpose generates genuine buy-in.  

Gameplan

Know your ask and offer. Plan your pitch. Prepare to trade. Because influence isn’t a one-way sell, it’s a value exchange.

Growth Focus

Create space for dialogue. Be curious. Listen deeply. Share your thinking and show your working. Help others shape the idea, so they want to back it. This isn’t about winning; it’s about moving forward together.

Why it works

The 5Gs aren’t theoretical. They’re based on what actually works inside organisations, where priorities compete, decisions are rarely linear, and leaders need to influence across hierarchies and boundaries.

When leaders apply the 5Gs, they stop trying to ‘push’ their ideas. Instead, they build the kind of conditions where ideas are invited, understood, and championed. That shift does more than improve communication, it boosts agility, collaboration, and innovation across the board.

Ready to boost your leaders' influence?

Research into future skills, as highlighted in the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, indicates that influence is among the most in-demand leadership capabilities for the next decade.

And not the loudest-in-the-room kind. The kind of influence that is thoughtful, strategic, and relationship-first enables leaders to build trust, navigate complexity, and bring others with them in disruptive, fast-moving environments.

If you’re looking to build the influencing skills of your leaders the 5Gs can be integrated as a standalone workshop or woven into broader leadership programs.

One client used the 5Gs to anchor a program designed to help mid-level leaders navigate complex stakeholder dynamics and lead with greater impact. The result? More confident conversations, stronger cross-team relationships, and faster traction on ideas.

Read the full case study here.

If you’re looking to elevate how your people engage, align, and lead, let’s talk.