Being fluent in Business English is an incredible achievement. It’s what so many professionals spend years working toward — grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, the mechanics of communication. But here’s the truth most leaders won’t tell you: fluency alone isn’t what gets you promoted, recognized, or followed. Influence is.

In this episode of Business English for Leaders with Dr. O, we’re pulling back the curtain on the difference between being fluent and being influential. Because while fluency gets you understood, influence gets you remembered. Influence is what turns heads in meetings, drives alignment in strategy sessions, and makes people pause, take notes, and actually act on your words.

Think about it — how many times have you been in a meeting where two people said essentially the same thing, but one voice carried weight and the other was ignored? That’s not about vocabulary. That’s influence. And it’s a skill you can learn.

I’ll share a story about a manager who was always technically “right” but never truly heard until she reframed her message to connect directly to outcomes. That one shift turned her into the person people looked to for direction. Together, we’ll break down how influence shows up in the real world — not just what you say, but when and how you say it. We’ll talk about timing, tone, presence, and the art of framing your words so they inspire action.

You’ll learn how to take a sentence like “We could do this” and transform it into “Here’s an approach that could move us forward.” We’ll talk about storytelling — why a quick, results-driven example makes your point resonate far more than a list of tasks. And we’ll cover why listening and reflecting back what you’ve heard can actually give your voice more weight when it’s your turn to speak.

Influence is the multiplier. It’s what turns competence into leadership. And once you learn how to layer influence on top of fluency, you’ll notice immediate changes in the way colleagues, clients, and executives respond to you.

By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with practical strategies you can start practicing right away — no complicated scripts, just real-world tools that will help you communicate in a way that moves people.

And if you want to go deeper, I’ve created a free community just for you — the Business English Network at www.thethryvenetwork.com. It’s a space where leaders and professionals from all over the world connect daily, practice these skills, and get free tips, exercises, and even direct advice from me. Because this isn’t just about improving your English, it’s about building your leadership presence.

Your fluency is the foundation. But your influence? That’s your superpower!

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