Richard Grenville: Grenville was another English naval commander and explorer who was active in the mid-16th century. He was best known for his expedition to Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina, where he attempted to establish the first English colony in North America. Drake was also influenced by Grenville, and he learned much from him about leadership and the art of war.
Thomas Cavendish: Cavendish was an English explorer and privateer who circumnavigated the globe in the late 16th century. He was the second Englishman to accomplish this feat, after Sir Francis Drake. Drake was inspired by Cavendish's success and learned much from him about navigation and exploration.
In addition to these three men, Drake was also influenced by his reading of various books and maps about the Americas. He was particularly interested in the works of Peter Martyr, a Spanish historian who wrote about the New World, and John Dee, an English mathematician and astronomer.