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July 3, 2025 10 mins

Struggling to get buy-in from senior leaders—or move things forward across departments when you have no formal authority? This episode is for you. We're diving into the science and strategy of influencing without power, with research-backed techniques from psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics.

You’ll walk away with practical ways to manage up and influence across. And if you're ready to put these ideas into action, listen through to the end for a special podcast-only deal on our upcoming Leadership Build series: 25% off plus a free one-on-one coaching session.  Visit https://www.strongleadersserve.com/build for more info and to reserve your spot.



Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-m-schmidt/

Get 1-on-1 leadership support from Teri here: https://www.strongleadersserve.com/coaching

Set up an intro call with Teri: https://calendly.com/terischmidt/discoverycall

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Episode Transcript

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(00:01):
If you've ever felt stuck tryingto get buy-in from a senior
leader who doesn't listen orstruggle to move a
cross-functional initiativeforward without any formal
authority, this episode is foryou.
Today we're diving into thescience and strategy behind
managing up and influencingacross.
Tailored specifically formid-level managers, directors,

(00:24):
and VPs.
We're combining research frompsychology, neuroscience, and
behavioral economics with realworld examples to help you lead
more effectively, even when youdon't hold all the power.
This is the fourth episode inour end of season series where
we're introducing the keyleadership challenges we will be
tackling in depth during theupcoming Leadership Build

(00:48):
series, our hands-on interactiveworkshops that turn reflection
into action.
And today is the day we've beentalking about when I get to
finally announce a special offerjust for you as a podcast
listener.
So hang with me through to theend of the episode for details
on how you can save on theseries and get a free leadership

(01:11):
coaching session.
I'm Terry Schmidt, executive andleadership coach as strong
leader serve where I partnerwith compassionate driven
leaders to transform potentialinto performance.
And this is the Strong LeaderServe podcast.

(01:43):
In today's organizations, youprobably often find yourself in
situations where your positionalauthority isn't enough to make
the impact that you're aimingfor.
Whether you're in a meeting witha senior leader or trying to
collaborate with a peer inanother department, the ability
to influence without authorityhas become a core leadership

(02:05):
skill.
So I wanna know, what does theresearch tell us about
influencing without authority?
Here are some of the highlights,Robert Cialdini's.
Principles of persuasion remindus that people are moved by
things like reciprocity, likingauthority and social proof,
emotional intelligence,according to Daniel, Goldman and

(02:26):
others, is critical for buildingtrust and navigating complex
power dynamics.
David Rock's scarf modelexplains how perceived threats
to status certainty.
Autonomy, relatedness orfairness can derail our
influence efforts.
And from behavioral economics,we know that people are often

(02:47):
driven more by avoiding lossesthan by achieving gains.
Let's start with something thatnearly every leader has to do,
yet very few are taught how todo well.
Managing up whether your boss issupportive, distracted, detail,
obsessed or inconsistent, yourrelationship with them directly

(03:09):
affects your ability to succeedand to serve your team well.
So what can you do?
Well, first, understand theirworld.
Okay.
One of the most effective firststeps is to get curious about
your boss's priorities,pressures, and preferences.
You might ask, what are your topthree goals this quarter?

(03:32):
how do you prefer to receiveupdates, written or quick verbal
check-ins, this taps intoemotional intelligence and helps
you reduce ambiguity, a key needin the scarf model under
certainty.
Second frame proposals in theirlanguage.
When you bring ideas to yourboss or another senior leader,

(03:53):
frame them in terms of whatmatters to them, not just what
matters to you.
That could be revenue,efficiency, visibility, or
innovation.
Use clear, concise language thatlinks your idea to strategic
goals.
And remember, you don't need tohave all the answers.
Chaldini reminds us thatconfidence plus credibility

(04:16):
builds influence.
So back up your proposal with afew strong data points or case
examples.
Third, use loss aversion wisely.
Behavioral science tells us thatpeople are more likely to act to
avoid a loss than to pursue again.
So if you're making a pitch andwant to drive urgency, try

(04:39):
framing the risk of inaction.
If we delay this processimprovement, we could lose
another quarter toinefficiencies, which impacts
client retention.
That kind of framing activatesdecision makers, protective
instincts.
And shows your thinking like astrategic partner.
And finally, manage difficultbosses with boundaries and

(05:02):
trust.
If you're working with a bosswho's critical, inconsistent, or
hands off Research, from HarvardBusiness Review and psychology
suggests two things.
First, be proactive withcommunication.
Don't wait for them to check in.
And second set respectfulboundaries.

(05:24):
For example, you might say, Iwanna make sure I'm delivering
what matters most.
Can we check in weekly for 15minutes so I can stay aligned
with your priorities?
You're not pushing back, butyou're offering structure that
benefits you both.
Managing up isn't about flatteryor avoidance.

(05:45):
It is about creating arelationship where both of you
can do your best work, and thatstarts with clarity, empathy,
and strategic framing.
Now, what about when you need toinfluence your peers or other
cross-functional partners?
This is where many leaders feelstuck because unlike with direct

(06:06):
reports, you can't assign tasks.
And unlike managing up, youdon't always have shared
incentives, but influence acrossteams is still completely
possible and powerful.
So what are some things you cando?
Well, first, build relationshipsbefore you need them.

(06:27):
That might sound obvious, butone of the biggest predictors of
whether you'll succeed ininfluencing a peer is.
How strong your relationship isbefore you make the Ask.
Research from the Center forCreative Leadership and Harvard
Business Review show thatcross-functional influence is
rooted in trust and credibility,so invest early.

(06:49):
You might wanna ask yourself,have I offered help before
asking for it?
Does this peer see me ascompetent and fair?
If you can ask and answer thosequestions positively before you
need help from your peer, itwill make asking them for help
later much easier.
Second, use organizationalcurrencies in their book,

(07:12):
influence Without Authority.
Cohen and Bradford talk aboutcurrencies, things of value in
organizations.
These could be information,access to data, resources, time
saving solutions, or visibility.
Find out what matters to yourpeer and offer something that

(07:33):
aligns with it.
Maybe your team can assist withdata gathering for their project
if they support yours later.
That's reciprocity.
And action.
Third, co-create solutions.
Don't bring fully baked plans topeer leaders and expect
immediate buy-in.
Instead, invite them into theprocess early.

(07:53):
Maybe you could try somethinglike, I've been thinking about a
solution to our overlappinghandoff issues.
Can I bounce a few ideas off youand hear your perspective now,
they're not being told.
They're being included.
That's huge for autonomy andrelatedness.
Two big levers in the scarfmodel.
Next frame benefits throughtheir lens.

(08:17):
Just like when managing up,tailor your message to their
goals.
If their department is underpressure to hit operational
metrics, don't pitch yourproject as transformational.
Pitch it as practical andefficient.
Also leverage social proof ifother teams or respected peers

(08:37):
are on board.
Mention that people want to knowthey're not the first to take a
risk and finally handle conflictwith clarity and respect.
When tensions arise, hold theline with empathy and
assertiveness.
Avoid making it personal.
Instead, name the shared goaland focus on moving forward

(08:58):
saying something like, I know weboth want this launch to go
well, I'd love to hear what'sgetting in the way from your
side so we can adjust.
That builds trust even when youdisagree.
Now, whether you're managing aboss who's hard to read or
trying to get support from apeer who's overloaded.
Your ability to influencewithout authority is one of the

(09:19):
most important leadership toolsand the best part, it's
something that you can learn andwe'll be building that skill
together inside the LeadershipBuild series.
These workshops utilize LegoSeries play and other methods to
help you process, reflect andsolve real leadership challenges

(09:39):
in creative and practical ways.
And as promise, since you'velistened all the way to the end,
here's that special offer.
Just for podcast listeners,you'll get 25% off plus a free
one hour one on one coachingsession with me when you go to
strong leaders serve.com/buildand use the code podcast.

(10:02):
Again, that's strong leaderserve.com/build, and the code is
podcast to get 25% off the earlybird price, plus a free
one-on-one coaching session withme.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
If this episode resonated withyou, definitely share it or
leave a quick review.
Thank you so much for beinghere.

(10:23):
It has been a wonderful season,and I can't wait to be back with
you when we start the nextseason Enjoy your summer And
until next time.
Remember, lead with courage andserve with intention.
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