Hi Leader,
Influence feels harder right now because the environment changed.
Conversations that used to move easily now stall.
Ideas that should land cleanly meet hesitation.
And many people are working harder just to get the same level of buy-in they used to get without thinking about it.
That is not because your team or your clients suddenly became difficult.
And it is not because you forgot how to communicate.
Pressure changed how people listen.
When uncertainty becomes constant, the brain shifts into protection mode. People become more cautious. More selective. Less open, even to good ideas delivered well.
So what used to feel like momentum now feels like resistance.
And what used to feel like confidence now feels like pushing.
That is the shift most leaders and sellers are experiencing, whether they have named it or not.
And until you understand what actually changed, it is easy to respond the wrong way.
By talking more.
By pushing harder.
By leaning on authority, expertise, or urgency instead of awareness.
That is where influence quietly breaks down.
Why the Old Playbook Stops Working Under Pressure
Most people assume influence feels harder because people have become more difficult.
That is not what is happening.
The environment changed.
Pressure increased.
Uncertainty became constant.
And when that happens, the human brain does exactly what it is designed to do. It protects.
Neuroscience shows us that under pressure, the brain prioritizes safety over speed. When people feel rushed, talked over, or controlled, curiosity shuts down. Listening narrows. Resistance rises.
Not because your idea is wrong.
But because the brain is no longer open to receiving it.
This is why authority and experience alone stop working the way they used to.
They do not regulate a nervous system.
And when people feel pressure, even well-intended confidence can land as control. Control triggers protection, not trust.
What Actually Creates Influence Now
Here is the part that feels obvious once you say it out loud.
Influence works better now when people are approached as human beings, not transactions to move.
That sounds simple.
But it is not how most people were trained.
Many leaders and sellers were taught to focus on outcomes first. Close the deal. Get alignment. Drive the decision. Move it forward.
Under pressure, that mindset becomes even more transactional.
And the brain feels it.
Influence does not start with what you say.
It starts with how the other person experiences you.
When you slow yourself down, you give people room to think.
When you ask better questions, you signal respect.
When you regulate yourself first, you create the conditions for trust.
This is not about being softer or lowering standards.
It is about remembering that every interaction is happening inside a nervous system.
The brain follows clarity.
It resists pressure.
The people who influence well today understand a few critical truths:
Trust is built before ideas are evaluated
Timing matters as much as content
Awareness beats force every time
They are not trying to win interactions.
They are trying to create conditions where real decisions can happen.
Whether you are leading a team, influencing peers, or selling to clients, the question underneath it all is the same:
Are you treating this interaction as a transaction to complete,
or a human conversation that needs space to move?
That answer determines whether you create resistance or trust.
And trust determines everything that comes next.
Next Steps While You Wait for the Next Edition
If influence has felt heavier lately, here are a few ways to keep building clarity.
Stay connected.
Make sure you are subscribed so you do not miss what is coming next. And if you want guaranteed access to future paid editions when they return, this is a good time to upgrade your subscription.
If you lead people, ask yourself this:
Do people experience you as someone who creates safety and clarity under pressure?
If that question lands, take the Leadership Assessment to see how your style is currently being experienced.
→ Find Your Leadership Type
If influencing or selling is part of your role, ask yourself this:
Are your conversations building trust, or triggering protection?
If that feels familiar, take the Sales Assessment to understand how your approach is landing today.
→ Find Your Sales Type
Watch my free sales training.
If influence feels harder than it used to, this training breaks down what has changed and how to adjust without relying on pressure or outdated tactics.
→ Register for my free sales training
Bring Me Into the Room
From founder teams to Fortune 500s, I work with organizations ready to replace fear with trust and turn culture into a competitive edge.
→ Book Stephanie to speak
Influence has not disappeared.
The rules have changed.
I will see you in the next edition,
Stephanie
