Influence without
Authority
Kannan Sundaramurthy
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
May 2013
Influence without Authority?
2
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority
What, How & Why
We make Great Computers, they are beautifully designed,
easy to use & user friendly …
Want to buy One?
Starting with Why
Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo, the
way we do is by making our products beautiful, easy to use &
user friendly; we just happen to make Great Computers …
Want to buy One?
Golden Circle:
Starting with Why – Inspires Action
3
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: Why?
Bank of America:
$5 to use Debit Card
One customer (Molly Katchpole) runs a Campaign in Social
Media ...
Power is in Influence !!!
“All Influential Managers have power,
but not all Powerful Managers have Influence”
4
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: Why?
Leadership is Influence; Nothing more Nothing less
- John Maxwell
Authority: Power to reward / Punish
Influence: Ability to direct group of people to a desired
behavior/goal
Why?
•
•
•
•
•
•
5
Power has shifted – Client/Server Vs. Master/Slave
Matrix Organization
Global Multi-cultural teams
Managing Up
Effective meetings
Win-Win outcome
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: How?
Cohen-Bradford Model
Assume all are
Potential Allies
INFLUENCE
through
Give & Take !!!
Clarify your Goals
& Priorities
Dealing with
Relationships
Diagnose the
World of Other
Person
Identify relevant
Currencies –
Yours & Theirs
6
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: How?
1. Assume all are Potential Allies:
• Discover any overlapping interests
• Assuming the other person as adversary leads to
misinterpretation, stereotypes & miscommunication
• Applies to relationship with Managers also …
2. Clarify your Goals & Priorities:
• Start with End in mind
• State Primary & Secondary Goals?
• Are they short-term or long-term objectives?
• What are “must-have” & “nice-to-haves”
• Is your primary task accomplishment or
preserving/improving the relationship?
7
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: How?
3. Diagnose the Ally’s World:
• Seek first to Understand, then to be Understood
• Determine the Organization priorities of ally
• Ask their Goals, concerns or needs
• “What is in for Us”
4. Identify relevant Currencies:
• Build your Value proposition
• What do people care about: “Currencies”
• Identify several applicable currencies to offer in
exchange
• Assess your resources relative to the Ally’s wants –
Don’t underestimate resources you can offer
8
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: How?
Types of Currencies
• INSPIRATIONAL: Vision, Excellence, Moral/Ethical
Correctness
• TASK: Resource, Information, Assistance, Support
• POSITION: Advancement, Recognition, Visibility,
Reputation, Networks/Contacts, Importance
• RELATIONSHIP: Acceptance/Inclusion, Personal support,
Understanding
• PERSONAL: Challenging, Ownership, Involvement,
Gratitude
9
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: How?
5. Dealing with Relationship:
• Relationship with the person: Is it +ve, -ve or neutral
• Pay attention to building necessary Trust & Credibility
• Understand other person’s working style: Formal or
Informal, Analytical etc.
• Determine your currency trading approach
• Task & Relationship are BOTH Important
• Make Connections Early & Often
• Vertical & Horizontal relationship
Are you a T-Shaped Leader?
10
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: How?
The right mindset to Influence
• Your Technical Competency is just the price of admission
• Influence for the ultimate Good of the Organization
• Recognize that the difficulty with influence is often YOU
• Everyone is potentially more influential than they think they are
• Influencing uses logical argument to appeal to human emotion
• Blends art and science
• It can take place in a single meeting or over time through a series
of discussions
11
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: What?
#
Self Assessment
1
I place a Premium on being able to Positively Influence
Others
2
I thoroughly do my research before any meeting, where I
need others buy-in
3
I work hard to build Proactive network throughout the
Organization and/or Community
4
I proactively seek feedback Vertically & Horizontally
5
I am fully accountable for my level of success. I own it,
take action & Celebrate when I win
12
Influence without Authority
Yes
No
Influence without Authority: Final Thought …
No Guarantees …
• Not all efforts to Influence will be Successful
When we shift from Authority-based to Influence-based
Leadership, Accept that we are NOT always in Control …
However, in reality we actually NEVER were !!!
13
Influence without Authority
Influence without Authority: How?
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Level 5 leaders look out the window to attribute success to factors
other than themselves.
When things go poorly, however, they look in the mirror and blame
themselves, taking full responsibility.”
14
Influence without Authority
References
• TED Conference: Simon Sinek – Start with Why
• Book: Influence without Authority by Cohen & Bradford
• Book: The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes & Posner
• Book: Good to Great by Jim Collins
• Blog: How to Influence without Authority (Jess Ln Stoner)
15
Influence without Authority