How to Identify and Activate Internal Influencers for Change

Benjamin Franklin famously said, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” In the modern workplace, I would amend that quote a bit to read, “In the world of work, nothing is certain except death, taxes—and change.”

Change seems to be on the rise—or at least on a significant number of employees’ lips. A 2024 survey from Gallup noted that seven in 10 U.S. workers reported disruptive change within the last year at their organization

As Gallup goes on to note, disruptive change opens the door to disengagement (another corporate buzzword), disconnection, discontent, burnout, and ultimately out the door—all things that have executives quivering in their boots. And then panic-calling the internal communication (IC) team to “send more stuff” because that will solve everything.

Spoiler: It does not.

First: What’s the Change Case?
Before identifying influencers, get your arms around the change itself. You’ll need answers to questions like:

• Why is there a case for change?
• Why this change?
• What exactly is changing?
• Who will be impacted by this change?
• What does the change mean for those impacted?
• How would you answer “what’s in it for me” if asked by those impacted?

Once you’vegot clarity here, you can move through the phases of change—making it essential, real, happen, and stick—with your influencers by your side.

Now, Who Are the Influencers?

Step one: Look in the mirror. If you’re in IC or leadership—or both—you’re an influencer.

“What?” You ask. “Me, an influencer?” Yes, YOU.

Merriam-Webster defines influencer as “one who exerts influence; a person who inspires or guides the actions of others.” That’s you. So, if the influencing shoe fits, wear it. And boy, does it look good on you. 

Influencer status within an organization isn’t about job title or hierarchy. Executive assistants, for example, are some of the most critical people to connect with in an organization. They have the ears (and calendars) of the senior leaders.

By establishing rapport and professional relationships with them, you open the door to deeper connections and getting the time of day from an organization’s highest of high influencers.

Influencers often emerge as the ones others turn to with questions, the unofficial pulse-checkers, or the people who speak up in meetings and get heads nodding. They may not carry formal authority—but they shape opinion.

Use McKinsey’s Influence Model
McKinsey outlines four building blocks for driving change. Here’s how they translate into internal influence:

• Role modeling
  Remember the childhood game “Follow the Leader?” Turns out, we never really outgrew it. In“Behavioral Economics for Leaders,” author Matthias Sutter discusses how people imitate the behaviors of those around them. So, in times of change, if someone sees their leaders, colleagues, and team members behaving differently, they’re likely to adjust their own behavior.Et voilà—influence in action.
  
• Developing talent and skills
  Giving employees the confidence and skills to enact the change is key to—well, achieving the change. This is where a little thing called neuroplasticity comes into play. The brain can form new neural pathways at any stage of life. That’s right, the oft-used generational excuse of “I’ve been doing it this way too long to learn something new” is just that—an excuse. Employees need to be empowered and educated, which means your key influencers here might be the learning and development team, on-site trainers, traveling trainers, or everyday subject matter experts trained through a train-the-trainer model.
  
• Fostering understanding and conviction
  Remember those questions we asked earlier? Here’s where they come into play again. Employees need to understand what’s changing, why it’s happening, and what it means for them. It doesn’t need to be an “everything and the kitchen sink” explanation, but your key players—those expected to initiate and enact the change—need to be clear on what’s expected of them and why.
  
• Reinforcing with formal mechanisms
  In this bucket, the influencers are those reinforcing or rewarding the desired behaviors. Systems and processes matter here too. When people see visible movement behind the change—and everything that comes with it—they’re more likely to come along for the journey.
  

A Real-World Example: Influencers in Action
When rolling out a new employee app at a retail organization years ago, I made sure store associates were in the decision-making group from the start.

Why?

Their perspective was invaluable—and their buy-in contagious. They became advocates because they helped choose the app. That’s the power of activating internal influencers early and meaningfully.

Remember, change doesn’t stick through messaging alone. It sticks when the right people carry it forward—through conversations, example-setting, and trust. Internal influencers already exist in your organization. Your job is to find them, empower them, and let them lead the way.