Lunch 'n Learn overview

Every day, our words, attitudes, decisions and behaviour affect the people around us. 

We may influence a colleague’s confidence, a team’s energy, a client’s experience or the way others respond to a challenge—often without fully realising it.

Becoming a Person of Influence is an engaging Lunch ’n Learn inspired by John C. Maxwell’s leadership principles.

The session helps participants recognise that leadership is not limited to people with formal authority. Influence is already present in everyday relationships; the important question is whether that influence is intentional, constructive and worthy of trust.

Participants are encouraged to consider how they currently affect others and how they can strengthen their influence through self-leadership, credibility, relationships and adding value.

Session Objective

The objective of this Lunch ’n Learn is to help participants recognise the influence they already have and use it more intentionally and positively.

Participants will be encouraged to:

• understand leadership as influence rather than position;
• recognise how everyday behaviour affects others;
• strengthen self-leadership as the foundation of influence;
• consider how to influence across different workplace relationships;
• recognise the limitations of authority, intimidation and control;
• understand the relationship between motives, trust and credibility;
• identify how negative communication can spread through a workplace;
• focus on adding value rather than merely gaining compliance; and
• choose one practical way to increase their positive influence.

Session Outline

You Are Already Influencing Others

Participants explore how influence happens through everyday words, actions, attitudes and responses—whether or not a person holds a leadership title.

Leadership beyond Position

The session challenges the assumption that people must wait for a promotion before they can begin leading.

Formal authority may create compliance, but sustainable influence is built through credibility and relationships.

Beginning with Self-Leadership

Participants consider a foundational question:

Would I willingly follow the example I am currently setting?

Attention is given to the everyday habits that strengthen or weaken personal credibility.

The Leadership Compass

The session introduces the idea that influence can move in several directions:

• inward, through self-leadership;
• downward, through formal responsibility;
• sideways, through peer relationships; and
• upward, through credibility and trusted contribution.

Participants reflect on where their influence may currently be strongest and where greater intentionality is needed.

Influence without Authority

Participants explore how reliability, consistency, competence and results allow people to influence colleagues and senior leaders without relying on rank.

Positive or Negative Influence?

Influence is not automatically constructive.

The session considers how attitudes, gossip, rumours, cynicism and careless communication can quietly affect trust, morale and workplace culture.

Moving beyond Intimidation

Participants reflect on why a controlling, “my way or the highway” approach may produce outward activity while reducing creativity, initiative and genuine engagement.

Why Motives Matter

The session explores the importance of trust and ethical intention.

Influence becomes meaningful when people believe:

• you genuinely care about them;
• you can help them move forward; and
• you can be trusted.

Adding Value to Others

Participants consider how positive influence grows when people feel seen, respected, encouraged and supported.

Adding value may include:

• helping someone develop;
• recognising their contribution;
• supporting an important goal;
• listening with genuine interest;
• sharing useful insight; or
• helping another person see their own potential.

Choosing Your Influence Intentionally

The session concludes by inviting participants to identify one relationship or situation in which they can use their influence more positively and purposefully.

The Lunch ’n Learn Experience

This concise and interactive session may include:

• facilitated leadership insights;
• relatable personal and workplace examples;
• guided reflection;
• audience participation;
• a simple leadership-compass exercise;
• reflection on trust and motives; and
• a focused personal influence commitment.

Who Should Attend?

This session is suitable for:

• employees at every organisational level;
• emerging and aspiring leaders;
• managers and team leaders;
• high-potential employees;
• project and cross-functional team members;
• client-facing professionals;
• employees preparing for promotion; and
• anyone who wants to strengthen their positive impact on others.

What Participants Will Take Away

Participants will leave with:

• a clearer understanding of leadership as influence;
• greater awareness of how they affect the people around them;
• insight into the importance of self-leadership;
• a broader view of influencing up, across and down;
• greater awareness of the cost of negative influence;
• appreciation for trust and motives as foundations of leadership;
• practical ideas for adding value to others; and
• one commitment for strengthening their influence.

Influence Is Already Happening

The question is not whether you influence others.

The question is what kind of influence you are creating—and whether people are stronger, more confident and more capable because of it.

Lead yourself well. Build trust. Add value. Influence with purpose.

Got any questions? You are welcome to contact Lynette Berger at [email protected]