One of the things I often work on with my Microsoft clients and teams is a great skill set for you to acquire. It can have a powerful effect on your career progress, and open all kinds of doors that may otherwise have been unavailable. But without a clear understanding of how it works, it can be baffling, because it sounds downright impossible: influencing without authority.
The privilege of someone who has ascended to a leadership position is that we give them a high-degree of trust in their authority, which means, in practice, that they are able to make important decisions and shape key strategies. If you’re not in this type of high-level role (yet!), you may feel like you have no power to influence decisions and affect change. You may feel frustrated that your best ideas, and your best work, are not seen or heard by the right people. But don’t despair, there are some excellent ways to flex your power when you’re in a mid-level role without much authority. You just need a dedicated strategy to get it done
Here are four ways to influence without authority:
Express passionate opinions about important issues. When it comes to high-level projects and strategies, you may think you’re “playing it safe” by not coming in hot or cold on anything, but in fact you won’t be able to distinguish yourself from others. You’ll just be another sheep moving along with the flock. Visibility is crucial to your career progress, and in order for people in power to assess your leadership potential, they need to know where you stand. Staying quiet will only keep you stuck in the background, so speak up! Many of my clients have noticed an increase in respect and influence just by taking this simple action
Be measured and careful with your praise. While you may feel compelled to call out the excellent work of others, don't be too effusive. You want to be known as someone whose praise is worth earning, and whose approval is highly coveted. This strategy can be applied to interactions with your peers as well as anyone that you manage, and you can also try it with senior leaders. When you praise someone’s work, be specific about what you like and why. This will demonstrate that you are capable of in-depth analysis and constructive criticism, two qualities that are essential in a leader
Form strong bonds with 360’ people in your company. If you identify as an introvert this one might be particularly challenging, but it’s extremely important to make strong connections with people outside your own team and leadership (in a 360’ degree pattern around you). This includes people who are a few rungs below you, peers who are in different teams across your company, and senior leaders of other groups whose work you admire. These people will give you greater insight into everything the company is doing, which will help inform step #1 above. They can also be influential behind the scenes as you work your way up the ladder to a higher role. The more they know you and like you, the more influence you have with them, and vice versa
Learn something new and teach it to everyone. You’ve already heard me say that you need to take your own professional development seriously. What’s a new skill that would add value to your team’s overall impact? (EXt: there are now plenty of AI tools that can analyze huge amounts of data and save a ton of time). Take an in-depth training, make a Powerpoint of what you’ve learned, and give a presentation to your team. You’ll demonstrate that you can handle the spotlight, and also show that you have a robust growth mindset, which are crucial traits for strong leaders.
I give Power Communication trainings to groups of Executives, and private coaching packages for professionals at companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Columbia Bank, Carharrt, Cisco and Kimpton Hotels, both remotely and in person. DM me for more info about my trainings, rates and availability. I love hearing from you!