Leadership Is Built Daily, Not Announced Once
“Micro Habits That Increase Your Influence as a Leader”
Many leaders believe influence comes from titles, authority, or charisma. It doesn’t.
Influence is built quietly, through small, repeated behaviors that shape how people experience your leadership every single day.
People don’t follow what you say once. They follow what you consistently do. For Latino leaders navigating complex, multicultural environments, micro habits are not optional; they are leverage.
1. Start Every Interaction With Presence
One of the most powerful habits of influential leaders is deceptively simple: being fully present. No multitasking. No checking your phone mid-conversation. No rushing people through ideas.
When a leader gives full attention, they send a clear signal: “You matter.” That habit builds trust faster than any speech.
2. Close the Loop, Every Time
Influence erodes when leaders forget to follow up. High-trust leaders close loops, responding when they said they would, giving feedback when promised, and revisiting conversations that matter.
Consistency builds credibility. Credibility builds influence.
3. Ask Better Questions, Not Louder Opinions
Influential leaders are curious before they are convincing. Asking thoughtful questions elevates others and sharpens perspective.
Influence grows when leaders listen.
4. Regulate Your Emotions in Public Moments
People remember how leaders behave under pressure. Calm is contagious. So is chaos.
Influence follows the leader who can regulate themselves when others can’t.
5. Recognize Effort, Not Just Results
One of the most overlooked habits of strong leaders is recognition. Timely acknowledgment of effort builds commitment and trust.
People commit to leaders who see them.
Leadership influence is not built in moments of visibility; it’s built in moments of repetition. Micro habits compound, and over time, they create leaders whom others trust, follow, and defend.
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Written by Sergio Velarde, MBA, M.A. in Human Capital Management, and Industrial Engineer. He is the CEO of GTMG and Founder of Mente Hispana, The Thought Leadership Podcast. With 10+ years of international experience in organizational strategy and human development, Sergio helps leaders build resilient, high-performing teams across cultures.