Ep 167 - Influencing Without Authority

Ever felt unheard when trying to get buy-in from someone who doesn't report to you, or from a boss who just isn't responding to your usual approach? In this episode, we unpack influencing without authority: why it's such a common challenge in matrix organisations and cross-functional roles, and what actually works when you can't simply pull rank to get people on board.

We explore the difference between personal power and position power, why doubling down on what isn't working rarely gets you anywhere, and share practical, actionable ways to build the kind of influence that lasts.

Key points from this episode

• Why influencing without authority comes up so often, and why nobody ever really teaches us how to do it
• The crucial difference between personal power and position power, and what happens when you've only built one of the two
• How to spot the early signs that your usual approach isn't landing, and what to do instead
• Practical tools for building buy-in: getting curious, aligning with other people's priorities, and pre-socialising your ideas
• Why listening might be the single most underused skill when it comes to getting people on side

00:00 Introduction: why influencing without authority matters

03:00 What makes influencing feel so hard

06:00 Personal power versus position power

13:00 A simple first step: noticing frustration and getting curious

16:00 Aligning your priorities with theirs

18:00 Pre-socialising ideas and mapping the informal power structure

21:00 Listening: the most underused leadership skill

23:00 Final thoughts and how to get support

Useful Links

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

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