Is Inspiration or Influence More Powerful? 20 Leaders Reflect

While inspiration and influence are both powerful tools, they don’t always mean the same thing or lead to the same results.

At their core, both inspiration and influence aim to move people—but how they do so, and what follows, can vary dramatically. For leaders, choosing between (or balancing) the two can shape not only how others respond, but also how trust, motivation and lasting impact are built. Some see inspiration as the deeper force, igniting internal purpose, while others view influence as the practical key to decision-making and action.

Below, 20 members of Fast Company Executive Board share how they view the distinction between inspiration and influence, and which they believe carries more weight in effective leadership.

1. Motivation Drives Lasting Success

Ninety percent of great leadership is about inspiring your team and helping them move in the right direction. I’ve learned that forcing people to go where they don’t want to be rarely works. Real success comes from tapping into what motivates them. That’s why I’ll always choose inspiration over influence as my leadership approach. – Andy MacMillan, Alteryx

2. Emotional Connection Leads to Meaningful Action

Order of operations is important. In my organization, we influence people to take action on climate change. We start with inspiration, typically the beauty of nature and the joy of time skiing, biking, and hiking outside. That emotional spark influences action. The win isn’t in how we move people. It’s the progress we make on big challenges. – Erin Sprague, Protect Our Winters

3. Inspiration Moves People Forward With Purpose

I believe inspiring others is more meaningful than merely influencing them. Influence can shift behavior, but inspiration stirs the soul. It plants something lasting. Influence may win attention, but inspiration earns trust, action, and belief. The difference: Influence moves people. Inspiration moves them forward. One is power. The other is purpose. – Sudhir Gupta, FACTICERIE

4. Influence Drives Scalable Outcomes

Inspiration gets applause. Influence gets outcomes. One moves sentiment. The other moves decisions. At scale, leadership isn’t only about lighting a spark. It’s about aligning people to act with clarity and accountability. Inspiration matters, but without influence, it doesn’t stick. Influence is what scales. – Mike Capone, Qlik

5. Influence and Inspiration Fuel Each Other

In my experience, it is not a question of one being more meaningful than the other. Instead, I see it as a symbiotic relationship, with one fueling the other. I believe true influence often starts with inspiration. People who feel moved by a vision and see a clear path to achieve it don’t just follow—they help lead the way. And that drives action and results. – Jeffrey Whitford, MilliporeSigma

6. Inspiration Sparks Others to Grow

For me, it’s about inspiring others. Influence feels transactional—changing perceptions through action. Inspiration comes from authentic leadership that sparks others to grow on their own. Influence drives compliance; inspiration builds lasting commitment by helping people find their own path. – Barry Lowenthal, Inuvo, Inc.

7. True Inspiration Drives Lasting Commitment

Inspiring people is more meaningful—it lights a spark and taps intrinsic motivation. Influence can change behavior short-term, but inspiration drives lasting growth. They overlap, but true inspiration builds enduring commitment. – Stephanie Harris, PartnerCentric

8. Inspiration Fuels Creativity and Collaboration

Inspiring others is more meaningful because it fuels lasting engagement and creativity. While influence can guide actions, inspiration empowers people to contribute fully, embrace diverse ideas, and collaborate more effectively. It’s the difference between directing a team and truly motivating one to grow, experiment, and innovate together. – Dominick Passanante, Panasonic Connect

9. Leading by Example Creates Genuine Impact

Leading by example is the most effective way to inspire others. When you demonstrate the behaviors and actions you expect from others, you create a powerful model for them to follow. This approach fosters genuine inspiration, which is more impactful than simply trying to convince someone, which can feel like a tactic. – Ruchir Nath, Dell Technologies

10. Inspiration Gives Teams More Freedom

I prefer inspiring others, but I combine this with influencing when I sense that the team needs clearer direction setting. In my view, inspiring is a higher-leverage behavior than influencing, since it gives more freedom and responsibility to my team to choose problems to work on, and in turn, find the best solutions. – Max Azarov, Novakid Inc.

11. Advocates Emerge From Inspired Teams

Inspiring others is more meaningful long-term because it builds trust, fosters intrinsic motivation, and creates sustainable change. Inspiration allows individuals to operate with a sense of ownership, creativity, and resilience. There is a difference: inspiration fuels purpose, while influence drives action. And while they can overlap, inspiring others builds advocates, not just followers. – Justin Rende, Rhymetec

12. Effective Leadership Balances Both in Context

Great leaders know that both inspiration and influence matter, and they skillfully apply each based on the situation. Inspiration fuels culture and empowers people to do extraordinary things, while influence focuses on alignment and decision-making. It’s not necessarily either-or but depends on the goals and context, focusing on driving business outcomes. – Jani Hirvonen, Google

13. Belief Sparks Meaningful Change

In my opinion, inspiration is more meaningful because it’s rooted in belief, not persuasion. It sparks ownership and purpose. Influence can shape decisions, but inspiration helps others move forward with conviction. Being able to positively inspire someone is a privilege—and one of the most fulfilling aspects of leadership. – Eddy Azad, Parsec Automation Corp.

14. Internal Motivation Drives Innovation

Inspiration creates lasting change by motivating people from within. Influence can be temporary, so when you can get people to choose to act rather than being persuaded, you’re building authentic commitment. I’ve seen teams transform when connecting emotionally to our mission of creating meaningful experiences. That internal motivation drives innovation far beyond what external influence achieves. – Jaime Bettencourt, Mood Media

15. True Leadership Enables Free Thought

The direct answer to this question is inspiring and enabling. Inspiring people, to me, enables free thought and critical thinking. Influencing people, to me, is my imposition of my thought process on others. I look to have an open forum of thought which allows for understanding and learning, not an influencing approach allowing for just my thoughts. – Richard McWhorter, SRM Private Wealth

16. Influence Builds Compliance; Inspiration Builds Momentum

Inspiration sparks that intrinsic action where people move because they actually have the desire to do so. Influencing shapes behavior, often without belief. One builds momentum, the other compliance. Both matter, but inspiration ultimately scales better. Especially with agentic AI, we need systems and people that opt in with intention and don’t just follow by default. – Unnat Bak, Revscale™

17. Meaningful Influence Can Positively Shift Someone’s Professional Path

Mentorship is very important to me, so I would lean toward influencing because it implies helping someone change direction. It’s important to me to encourage and positively shift people’s professional paths through workforce development, training, and mentoring, shifting their trajectory positively through meaningful influence. – Larry Brinker Jr., BRINKER

18. Inspiration Connects People to Their Inner Compass

Inspiring someone drives a deeper, more impactful, and sustained impact. It awakens an inner knowing or compass that is more enduring. True leadership happens when people connect to their own wisdom, not your agenda. – Dr. Camille Preston, AIM Leadership, LLC

19. Inspiration Fosters a Culture of Authentic Engagement

Inspiration elevates people—it makes them feel seen, capable, and connected to something bigger than themselves. When people are inspired, they own the outcome. They don’t just follow; they lead, grow, and pass that spark on to others. It fosters a culture of authentic engagement, which is vital in modern, decentralized, and hybrid workplaces. – Britton Bloch, Navy Federal Credit Union

20. During Periods of Change, People Need Inspiration to Come on the Journey

Inspiring others is more meaningful, especially during periods of great change or disruption, when people need to be inspired to come along on the journey. Influence gets things done, but inspiration taps into hope and purpose. It’s the difference between moving someone and truly motivating them. Influence is practical; inspiration is higher order. Great leaders know when and how to do both. – Dan Priest, PwC

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