"The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority." - Kenneth H. Blanchard
TLDR;
🧠 Know what you want
👀 Always bring the data
👨👨👦👦 Build a relationship and
⚡Embrace resistance
❤️ Empathize
❓Explain you're ‘why’
👂 Show that you’re listening
🔁 Be persistent
🙏 Be grateful
One of the most demanded skills for product managers is Influence without authority.
Influence without authority is practiced in a large variety of contexts. We can look back to historical examples such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions to the American civil rights movements in the 1960s or Mahatma Gandhi’s influence that led to several major revolutions against colonialism, racism, and violence. In the 20th century, look to our modern-day influencers like Greta Thunberg and what she’s done with getting world leaders to prioritize and proactively think more about climate change
Know what you want 🧠
The first step to influencing people without authority is to know exactly what you want. You need to be clear about your goals and objectives, and you need to be able to articulate them in a way that others can understand. If you’re not clear about what you want, you’re not going to be able to influence others to help you achieve it. So, take some time to think about your goals, and be sure that you can communicate them clearly to others.
Always bring the data 👀
The truth is in the numbers. (OK, sometimes they can be misleading, but that’s a topic for another day!) Facts and data are essential if you want to be taken seriously. By using research and data to back up your opinions and decisions, you’re showing that you’re informed, that you’ve taken the time to verify your instincts, and that you’re basing your choices on objective truth.
Build a relationship 👨👨👦👦
It’s important to build a relationship with people. People are more likely to listen to someone they know and trust than someone they don’t. So, take the time to get to know the person better. Find out what their interests are, and what they care about. Build a rapport with them, and make sure they know that you have their best interests at heart. Show up when your team needs you. When your engineers are pushing hard round the clock to launch the next product or feature, show up and be there for them.
Here is a picture of the Director of product at Twitter who was sleeping at the office supporting her team that went viral.
Embrace resistance ⚡
Nobody enjoys being disagreed with, especially when you believe you have the authority to be correct. However, that's not always how it works in business - there will always be somebody with a louder voice or a stronger opinion.
Instead of pushing back, try embracing it! Although it can be tempting to brush off every piece of criticism and hope that everyone will forget about it, this does more harm than good.
There are two key reasons for this:
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The critic might be right. You might know a lot, but you can't know everything. If you're met with resistance, take the time to understand where it's coming from. You might end up agreeing with the critic, and avoid future problems.
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You need to show the critic they're wrong. Think of it like a presidential debate. If you're faced with resistance to your ideas, you need an explanation to yourself, and to debunk the criticism.
Empathize ❤️
When you’re trying to influence someone, it’s important to put yourself in their shoes. Try to understand their point of view, and see the situation from their perspective. Empathizing with the person you’re trying to influence will make it more likely that they’ll be open to your suggestions. They’ll see that you’re trying to understand them, and they’ll be more likely to trust you.
Explain your ‘why’ ❓
The slogan "Just Do It" is great, but not for a Product Manager! The people you work with are smart, and they want to know the reason why behind all of your decisions. Bring them into the conversation, and help them to understand what drives you. Show them the data, and the research, and explain your reasoning.
This works for you in two different ways. Firstly, you’re able to make a better case for your own decisions. Secondly, they may be able to poke some holes in your thought process and offer a more useful perspective.
Explaining your ‘why’ is the easiest way to fast-track both alignment and trust between yourself and your teams. It shows that you respect your teams enough to explain the reasoning behind your decisions, and it opens the door for further communication.
Show that you’re listening 👂
Listening well is a rare superpower:
To speak is craft; to listen is art
To be an effective leader, you need to be an active listener. You need to cultivate an environment where people feel their ideas can be shared without fearing ridicule or devaluation.
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You can start creating this environment by making an effort to hear fresh ideas, which could involve team brainstorming sessions, shared ideas documents, and open invitations to collaborate. When your teams feel like they’ve been heard and that they’ve been involved in the project, they’ll be much more likely to support it.
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You can also show that you’re listening to your teams in a more interpersonal way during your one-to-one meetings. Active listening can involve asking questions, following up on points, or taking notes. Show your teams that what they tell you has an impact and isn’t just falling on deaf ears.
Be persistent 🔁
You might not get the results you want immediately, but if you keep at it, you’ll eventually get the person to come around to your way of thinking. One of the best ways to be persistent is to keep the lines of communication open. Make sure you stay in touch with the person you’re trying to influence and keep them updated on your progress.
Be grateful 🙏
Finally, if you want to influence someone, you need to be grateful. Thank the person for their time, and let them know how much you appreciate their help. Being grateful will show the person that you value their time and their opinion. This will make it more likely that they’ll be willing to help you in the future.
Understand first, influence later
Just like how Rome wasn’t built in a day. Influencing without authority doesn’t just happen. Like all things, these things take time, patience, and hard work
Extra resources
📚 Book - How to Win Friends & Influence People
🎧 Podcast - Coaching Real Leaders: Building Influence Without Authority on Apple Podcasts
😎 Meme
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