Leading with Influence: Redefining Modern Influence Part 2

By Marshall Goldsmith

Connie Dieken is the author of the bestselling books Talk Less, Say More and Become the Real Deal and a 5-time Emmy award-winning journalist. Founder of Influence360° and The Dieken Group, Connie is a member of our 100 Coaches and an expert on leadership influence.

In this week’s interview, Connie and I talk about how leadership influence has changed, how it is different today than in the past, and what that means for leaders trying to influence positive outcomes under today’s rapidly changing conditions.

Marshall: Connie, it’s great to see you. Let’s talk about how leadership influence has changed. How is it different today than it used to be?

Connie: Thank you Marshall. Leadership influence has changed dramatically. In the past leaders had the presumption of being influential. They were the voice of authority. They had time to get their messages together. They also had resources and access to information and communication channels that others didn’t. Therefore, they could speak as if from a stone tablet. They could claim that their version of what was happening was the truth.

Today, the Internet has democratized influence. We have all kinds of voices weighing in. There are so many people that we can listen to through a multitude of channels. Not only that, but timelines have been compressed and information can be distributed instantly, globally, to hundreds, thousands, even millions of people.


In addition, millennials have changed how we think of things. People are working virtually so you can’t always see them, and organizations have flattened. Today, the ability to influence people is dramatically different than it was even five years ago, so we have to understand not only what it is that we want to influence, what are our ideal outcomes, but also how people are likely to be influenced. We have to ask what do people value.

Marshall: Great points Connie – I’m looking forward to talking more with you about influence in upcoming interview segments. And as you said, not only are things more compressed, but attention spans are shorter too. So that is important to think about. I love your insights about this, love what you are doing and your books. So many people need this today, so congratulations!

Connie: Thank you Marshall!

Marshall Goldsmith Meme

About Connie: For more than 20 years, Connie Dieken has dedicated herself to journalism as a television news anchorwoman, reporter, broadcast personality, and talk show host, including co-hosting The Morning Exchange, America’s longest running television talk show. She is a multiple Emmy® award-winning and Telly® award-winning journalist and her excellence has led to her induction to the Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Connie has represented more than 50 companies as their spokesperson, including Intel, Sealy, GE, American Greetings, Ernst and Young and Goodyear. She has been the trusted executive coach and advisor to many leaders who run the world’s most recognizable brands. She has become the most respected and in-demand executive coach, keynote speaker, author and authority on learning the skills needed to become an influential personality in all forms of leadership and communication. Connie is the author and co-author of five books, dedicated to teaching individuals influential leadership, communication and presentation techniques. Her most recent bestselling book, Talk Less, Say More: 3 Habits to Influence Others and Make Things Happen, takes Connie’s knowledge, research and experience coaching high-powered leaders and condenses it into a fast-paced, no-nonsense guide to teach anyone to be an influential communicator with anyone, anywhere.

Marshall Goldsmith Meme
Linkedin Facebook Icon-twitter Instagram

Categories