In this week’s episode of Impactful Teamwork, I had the absolute pleasure of being joined by the brilliant Judith Germain, founder of The Maverick Paradox and one of Brains’ 500 Global Honourees. Jude is a strategic leadership consultant, author, and speaker who brings a fresh, dynamic lens to leadership through her Maverick methodology. We unpacked the often misunderstood concept of influence—and why it’s so much more than charisma or presence.
If you’ve ever thought, I need to be more influential, but had no idea where to start—this conversation is for you.
Influence Isn’t a Trait—It’s a System
Jude challenged the traditional view of influence being about personality or status. Instead, she presented her Influence Blueprint, which sees influence as a dynamic system powered by four core drivers:
- Capability – The foundation: your skills, credibility, emotional intelligence, and clarity of vision.
- Decisiveness – How you make decisions, demonstrate intent, and build your reputation.
- Power – Not positional power, but internal authority—your ability to act, innovate and lead without coercion.
- Impact – The ripple effect of your actions—how your influence spreads through people and systems.
“Influence isn’t about pushing people. It’s about aligning what you want with what others want—and what society needs,” Jude shared.
This holistic approach helps shift the narrative away from manipulation and into alignment, connection, and flow. Something that deeply resonates with my own experience partnering with horses.
Influence Exists at All Levels—If You Choose to Use It
A huge myth Jude busted is that only senior leaders have influence. Influence can come from any level in an organisation—from the CEO to the janitor. What matters is not your job title, but your ability to create movement and connection.
She used a lovely example: “When you’re out with friends and someone asks, ‘Where should we go?’—do they turn to you?” That, right there, is influence in action.
🟢 Action Step: Ask yourself: Where do people naturally seek my opinion or guidance? That’s the start of your influence zone.
What Stops Influence? Blocked Systems and Leadership Presence
One of the biggest barriers to influence is when it gets stuck in the system. This could be due to rigid hierarchies, poor communication flows, or ineffective leadership styles.
Jude and I both agreed—too often we see people say, “You just need more presence,” and then leave it at that. But what does that actually mean?
Her answer: Presence is built through your capability, reputation, and how well you use your power to make an impact. Influence can be amplified by others (like my former boss did for me), but you have to have it in the first place.
🟢 Action Step: Reflect on your reputation. Are you seen as competent, emotionally aware, and trustworthy? If not, where could you grow?
Let’s Talk About Power (Without the Eye Rolls)
Power gets a bad rap—but only if you think of it as control. Jude reframed power as something internal—what she calls Maverick Power. It’s the self-assurance, resilience, and innovation to act without needing permission.
She gave a great example: when there’s no hammer to hang a picture, a Maverick doesn’t say, “Oh well.” They pick up a screwdriver and get the job done.
🟢 Action Step: Where in your life or leadership are you waiting for the right tool or permission? How could you create a solution right now with what you have?
Leadership Is Influence in Action
In high-performing teams, influence is distributed. There’s an unspoken flow of leadership—people step up when needed, and decisions are made based on capability, not just hierarchy.
I loved how Jude described this as calibrated influence—where tools like the GC Index and her Influence Blueprint come together to reveal where people naturally lead and contribute.
This is something I see all the time with horses. If you don’t have the right energy, intention, and trust, the horse simply won’t follow. It’s not about domination—it’s about relational influence.
🟢 Action Step: Consider how leadership shows up across your team. Who’s actually influencing the direction of work, decisions, and morale?
Culture, Complexity, and the Need for Flow
As our conversation evolved, we delved into culture. Jude emphasised that real culture isn’t just “what we do around here”—it’s “who we are when we’re here.”
In today’s complex business environment, culture fit can be dangerous if it creates sameness. Influence thrives when there’s diversity of thought and energetic contribution—when people are hired for their potential impact, not just their similarity.
“Flow is what happens when presence meets trust meets clarity,” I added. And Jude agreed—businesses must now navigate energetics as much as strategy.
🟢 Action Step: Run a mini influence audit. Where is influence flowing in your organisation—and where is it getting blocked?
Influence Gone Wrong: The Trust Tax
We closed the episode reflecting on what happens when influence is missing. Jude shared examples of leaders who relied on control, but couldn’t motivate their teams. Change slowed, people left, and performance dipped. That’s what Stephen Covey calls the “trust tax.”
Conversely, when influence is present—when there’s alignment, trust, and shared goals—teams fly. Jude shared a story from early in her career when, despite holding others accountable, her team rallied to support her under pressure. That’s the power of relational influence at work.
Final Reflections
This conversation with Jude reminded me how crucial it is that we expand our definition of leadership beyond presence or performance—and see it as systemic influence.
Influence is the heartbeat of high-performing, agile teams. It’s what allows Teamship—not just leadership—to thrive. It’s what moves us from ego to eco, from chaos to coherence, from compliance to candour.
Your Next Steps: Build Your Influence Ecosystem
If you’re ready to deepen your own influence or diagnose what’s blocking it across your team, here’s what I recommend:
- Download Jude’s Influence Blueprint – available via The Maverick Paradox website.
- Take the GC Index with your team – and map where your team’s energy for influence lies.
- Book a Turbo-Charge Your Team Audit – and I’ll help you identify the key friction points in your team and how to unlock momentum using the Unbridled Teamship Roadmap.
Let’s stop talking about influence as a “soft skill” and start treating it as the strategic advantage that it really is.
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Show Notes
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
02:10 Understanding Influence
03:50 Leadership as a System
06:42 Influence in Practice
10:14 Women and Influence
11:15 Power Dynamics in Leadership
14:11 Influence and Organizational Culture
17:19 Practical Applications of Influence
33:14 Conclusion and Resources
