Influencer questions at Grade 6 and Grade 7 can expose answers that sound polished but show little natural motivation. The Grade 6 and Grade 7 strength interview guide gives you the definition and senior sample answers to practise now, before the panel tests how naturally you bring people with you.
Question
“How do you feel when you need to gain support from people who initially disagree with your proposal?”
What Is Being Looked For
The Influencer strength is about changing views through a credible and engaging approach. The panel listens for performance, engagement and regular use. Your answer should show that you can influence well, that you enjoy finding the route to agreement and that this is part of how you normally work.
At senior grades, influence should include judgement about power, evidence and organisational context. Explain how you learn what matters to the other person and adapt your case without losing the outcome you need. The answer can include a brief example, but it should remain conversational rather than becoming a long behaviour story.
Energy matters. Sound interested in the challenge of building support. Avoid saying that you simply present facts until people agree. Strong influencers combine evidence with listening, then make the decision or request clear. They also recognise when a concern is valid and use it to improve the proposal.
The guide’s scoring approach links high use and high affinity with a clear strength. Mention how often you use influence and the types of senior situations where it appears. Keep every claim truthful because consistency across strength answers affects credibility.
Example Answer
I enjoy influencing because it combines listening with clear thinking. When someone disagrees with a proposal, I become curious about what sits behind the objection. I usually find that the fastest route to agreement is to understand their risk and then connect the proposal to an outcome they already care about.
I use this strength regularly when leading work across teams that do not report to me. I prepare the evidence, but I avoid giving the same message to every audience. With an operational leader, I focus on service impact and practicality. With a finance colleague, I make the cost and trade-off clear. I like finding the point where different priorities can support the same decision.
Recently, I needed two directors to release staff for a cross-department review. Both were concerned about capacity. I met them separately first, listened to the pressures in their areas and changed the proposed timetable. I then showed how the review would remove repeated assurance work that was already taking time from their teams. Both agreed to provide staff, and one offered a senior lead to help resolve issues quickly.
I find that kind of work energising. I am comfortable with challenge, I use influence often and I enjoy turning a difficult starting position into a practical agreement that people can support.
Prepare this answer while you still have time to make it sound natural. The Grade 6 and Grade 7 strength interview guide contains further Influencer questions and scoring guidance, so use it before you lock in a rehearsed answer that only shows technique.
