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Factor 12: Your Ability To Impact

You’re assessed every day — not by how hard you work, but by the difference you make.

Your capacity to create real impact defines your success in the moment. It shapes your reputation, drives long-term achievement, and determines the trajectory of your career.

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Your Ability To Impact

Are you someone who makes things happen — or someone who lets things happen to you?

 

How often do your efforts truly move the needle? How consistently do your actions create meaningful results — for you, your team, your organisation?

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There’s effectiveness in today’s tasks — the meetings, the deadlines, the immediate objectives.
And then there’s a deeper kind of effectiveness: your ability to shape outcomes that stretch beyond the present. Because your real potential isn’t just in doing your job well — it’s in how far your influence reaches, and how deeply your impact is felt.

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Five characteristics will help you to maximise your impact:

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Let’s break down the traits that separate the ones who get ahead from everyone else—maybe it’s time to look closer at what it takes to truly have impact.

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1) Situational awareness

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Your situational awareness plays a big part in your ability to impact — it’s how you stay alert to what’s happening around you, who’s involved, and how your actions ripple outward. It means having a strong grasp of the current situation, understanding the dynamics of influence at play, and thinking ahead to what your options and consequences might be. It’s also about curiosity — being aware of what you don’t yet know and asking the right questions before making a move. When you read the situation well, you don’t just react — you respond with intent. Sometimes that means acting quickly; other times, it means waiting because timing is power. Situational awareness keeps you sharp, deliberate, and ready to apply your influence where it makes the biggest difference.

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2) Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is one of the most powerful levers of influence. Leaders high in emotional intelligence are, on average, 40% more successful — and that same advantage applies across high-impact roles like sales, consulting, and project management.

It’s how you connect, motivate, and empower others under pressure — turning every interaction into an opportunity to build trust and momentum.

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3) Vision and Learning Agility

Looking ahead and thinking about the future — what needs to happen next, and what the possibilities and obstacles are — is a prerequisite for making things happen, progressing, and innovating.

Equally important is the ability to acquire new knowledge and skills, which is essential for development and improvement.

There is also a need to adapt to ever-changing circumstances.

The people who are most successful see the bigger picture, adapt quickly, and keep learning — linking daily performance to long-term growth.

Everyone makes mistakes, but those with true impact use them differently. They turn failure into feedback: pausing, reassessing, and then pushing forward with sharper insight.

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4) Initiative, Ownership and Follow Through
High-impact individuals don’t wait for instruction — they act with ownership, drive momentum, and stay accountable for outcomes.

When obstacles arise, they keep moving. They adapt, prioritise, and finish what they start.
Execution is their edge. This means turning plans into action by ensuring accountability, managing priorities, and delivering measurable outcomes 

 

5) Gravitas, impact and influence
Being impactful requires being able to clearly articulate ideas, get buy-in from others, and collaborate well, making it easier to align teams and resources toward goals. This includes being energised enabling you to act decisively, remain optimistic under pressure, and maintain high stamina in demanding environments. The ability to energise others and in so doing, inspire and motivate them.  Having an "edge" about yourself, this being the capacity to make tough decisions. Leaders with edge confront difficult choices confidently—whether promoting, reorganizing, or addressing underperformance .

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True impact isn’t always loud—it’s consistent. It shows up in persistence—the willingness to keep going when the challenge stretches on—and in resilience, the capacity to recover quickly, adapt, and keep performance strong under pressure. It’s about more than one-off wins. The real differentiator is consistency—a pattern of strong results over time, earned through focus, discipline, and purpose.​​​​

Be cognizant about your circumstances and opportunity

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Your personal situation shapes your career options—things like family, health, money, and the job market all play a part.

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They'll be times when you can take on new challenges, promotions and pathways, and times when you can't.​

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If you’re ambitious, grab opportunities when they come up, as they might not always be there. In some countries, regions, industries or companies, progression can be slower, and access to new roles more limited. Economic cycles, local job markets, and organisational culture all play their part. Not everyone gets the same chance to reach their full potential—but understanding the landscape you’re in helps you make the most of the opportunities available.

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What Ability To Execute Means

In a work context, the ability to execute refers to turning plans, goals, and strategies into tangible, effective results. It’s one of the most valued professional skills because it links vision and strategy with concrete outcomes that drive personal and organizational success.​

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What Ability to Execute Means

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The ability to execute combines organizational, motivational, and problem-solving skills that allow a person or team to complete tasks effectively and on time. People with strong execution abilities are reliable, results-oriented, and adept at transforming ideas into action. In leadership, this skill also includes aligning people and resources with key objectives, measuring progress, and holding oneself and others accountable.​

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Key Components of Execution Skills

  • Organization: Managing resources, priorities, and timelines effectively.​

  • Time management: Structuring work efficiently to meet deadlines.​

  • Communication and collaboration: Ensuring clarity of goals and fostering teamwork that reduces errors and improves engagement.​

  • Decision-making: Balancing analysis and action to make timely, informed choices that advance projects.​

  • Accountability: Being responsible for outcomes, following through on commitments, and encouraging others to do the same.​

  • Problem-solving: Identifying obstacles and developing creative, practical solutions.​

 

How to Develop Strong Execution Ability

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Practical steps to build execution capacity include:

  1. Setting clear goals — Define measurable objectives for yourself or your team.​

  2. Creating structured plans — Break complex tasks into smaller, actionable steps.​

  3. Encouraging teamwork — Collaborate effectively by aligning individual strengths to group goals.​

  4. Improving communication — Keep everyone informed and invested through transparency and feedback loops.​

  5. Monitoring progress — Use data and progress reviews to adjust strategies as needed.​

  6. Cultivating resilience — Stay adaptable and calm under pressure, adjusting priorities as circumstances change.

The biggest impact starts with knowing yourself—then doing something about it.

What next?

Jot Down In Your Note Taking App
What observations can you make about your ability to impact?

  • Self-check: 

  • Are you delivering measurable impact? 

  • Are you consistently hitting key targets? 

  • Have you been plateauing too long? 

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  • What Next? 

  • Identify your key strengths and gaps 

  • Align your skills and competencies with career opportunities 

  • Prioritize growth—upskill, network, and seize opportunities 

  • Ensure your career reflects your values and motivations 

  • Keep adapting—change is constant 

If you’re serious about stepping up your ability to make an impact, now’s the time to look inward and take action. Start by reflecting on where you stand, then use those insights to close the gaps and build a stronger foundation for success.

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Reflection Prompts:

  • Where do I consistently make things happen—and where do I struggle to follow through?

  • How do others perceive my influence? Do I get buy-in and inspire action, or do I face resistance?

  • When have my emotional intelligence skills made a difference—or held me back—especially under pressure or in high-stakes situations?

 

Action Steps:

  • List out recent projects or situations where you demonstrated ownership and persistence. Spot any missed opportunities, and challenge yourself to take the lead on something new.

  • Seek honest feedback from colleagues or mentors about your impact, influence, and gravitas—ask for specifics on what you do well and where you could improve.

  • Pick one area (initiative, influence, or emotional intelligence) and set a concrete short-term goal to stretch yourself—such as leading a project, facilitating a team discussion, or thoughtfully navigating a conflict.​

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  • How often do I follow through on my commitments?

  • When I plan a project, do I finish strong, or lose momentum?

  • How effectively do I manage priorities when under pressure?

  • What do my peers or manager notice about how I deliver results?

  • How do I respond when plans change unexpectedly?

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The capacity to make tough decisions. Leaders with edge confront difficult choices confidently—whether promoting, reorganizing, or addressing underperformance

This is the last of the 12 Factors

So, what next?

Make a commitment now

Determine a manageable number of priorities (perhaps 3-5), that are specific and timelines in which you can complete them. Schedule these into your calendar and set yourself reminders or accountability notes.

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For example:

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