ABSTRACT
This chapter covers influence and leadership. Being an effective leader requires the ability to influence others. However, the chapter shows how influence is important for all levels of statisticians, not just statisticians in leadership, managerial, or senior technical positions. The chapter begins by dispelling five myths about leadership and then covers the basic principles of influence and power. A key focus of the chapter is on what influence tactics can be used with the various sources of power, and how likely those tactics are to be successful. This chapter then discusses transactional and transformational leadership, along with the fundamental principles associated with each. The chapter makes the important point that while some of us have a greater inherent ability to influence and lead, we can all improve and no one is so good that they are born with all the skills. These points are reinforced via examples from the leadership experiences of several US presidents. The chapter concludes with some practical advice for putting influence and leadership principles into practice, along with some real-world examples from the author's career.
