Amy Glass had a good, short article in Forbes last fall about how to influence others.
As she writes: No matter your role, influence is key to solving problems and making things happen. In the business world, this means persuading people to help you affect change, implement key decisions and create buy-in around your ideas.
In fact, influence is happening all the time at work, whenever you make a connection, nurture a relationship, or build your credibility. The key is to get others to do what you ask because they actually want to, not just because you said so.
This is a skill the most influential business leaders have mastered.