GoKawiilOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways Real influence comes from self-awareness, like knowing when to defer to someone with more expertise instead of clinging to decision rights just because you’re the most senior person in the room.
The fastest way to build credibility on a new project isn’t to prove yourself right away — it’s to spend the first 30 days genuinely understanding stakeholders’ priorities and where decision rights actually sit.
Across two decades, I’ve held twelve corporate roles of increasing responsibility and scope. Some came with positional power and authority. Some did not. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter when it came to my ability to make an impact and advance my career.
The reality is you’re not always going to be the boss with decision rights, but you can always be a leader. In fact, the higher I climbed, the more often I found myself leading cross-functional initiatives that required buy-in from other teams and approval from senior stakeholders.
What I learned along the way is that influence, not authority, is what drives real progress. You don’t need permission to become an excellent leader, just the right mindset and relationships.
Leadership is about relationships, not rank
No matter your title, cultivating influence in an organization starts by building strong relationships in order to solve problems. This way, you will naturally gain allies who are willing to follow your lead. Not because they have to. But because they want to.
I’ve found that the most powerful influence you can earn stems from self-awareness. For example, knowing when to give up short-term decision rights to build a better long-term relationship. Trust me, your willingness to be flexible will be remembered in future interactions.
On the topic of decision-making, the biggest mistake I see people make when “acting like a leader” is to attempt to hold on to all decision rights simply because they are the most senior person on a project, not because they have the most knowledge. Don’t fall into this trap.
... continue reading