You Have More Influence Than You Think | The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader (Episode 1)

Leader, welcome back to 2026. We're going straight at it.

Instead of starting the year with goal setting alone, we're going beneath the surface to who you are as a leader. Because here's the reality: you have way more influence than you think — and how you wield that leadership influence shapes everything around you.

This episode kicks off our new series on The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader, starting with Influence. Over the next five episodes, we'll unpack the foundational areas every Healthy + High Impact leader must pay attention to: Influence, Health, Self-Awareness, Design, and Space.

Today, we're tackling the first sphere: how to use your influence to build empowering cultures instead of toxic leadership environments.

The Tale of Two Leaders

One leader I coach lives under the shadow of an insecure boss who constantly needs attention and affirmation. This sharp, competent leader has been slowly diminished over time — beaten down by someone who doesn't comprehend their own influence.

The other leader I coach does the exact opposite. They're constantly asking, "How can I raise my team up? How can I get them to shine?" They form a protective line so their people — especially young leaders — can succeed.

Beat down or lift up. That's the question.

Do the people around you feel diminished by your presence, or empowered by it?

What You'll Learn About Leadership Influence:

• Why your mood and emotional presence change the atmosphere of every room you enter
• The difference between wielding influence to diminish vs. multiply team effectiveness
• How unexamined leadership authority wounds people (even when you don't mean to)
• Why creating empowering cultures requires regular rhythms, not one-off gestures
• Practical ways to delegate effectively and raise others up without losing organizational effectiveness
• How to prevent leadership burnout by building trust-based team dynamics
• The 70% rule for when to hand off responsibilities and empower team members

Three Steps to Healthy Leadership Influence:

1. Comprehend the power you have — Ask your team how your leadership impacts them (both positively and negatively)
2. Find tangible ways to raise others up — Give credit, take blame, empower decisions, delegate authority
3. Stay grounded with a posture of service — Regularly, not just once a year. This is how sustainable leadership works.

Signs You're Using Influence Poorly:

• Your team hesitates to bring you problems or bad news
• People wait for you to make every decision (no empowerment)
• You walk into meetings grumpy and the whole room shuts down
• Team members don't feel trusted until they've "earned it"
• High turnover or quiet quitting in your organization