189. Managing Up and Across

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.

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Transcript

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If you've ever felt stuck trying to get buy-in from a senior leader who doesn't listen or struggle to move a cross-functional initiative forward without any formal authority, this episode is for you. Today we're diving into the science and strategy behind managing up and influencing across. Tailored specifically for mid-level managers, directors, and VPs. We're combining research from psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics with real world examples to help you lead more effectively, even when you don't hold all the power. This is the fourth episode in our end of season series where we're introducing the key leadership challenges we will be tackling in depth during the upcoming Leadership Build series, our hands-on interactive workshops that turn reflection into action. And today is the day we've been talking about when I get to finally announce a special offer just for you as a podcast listener. So hang with me through to the end of the episode for details on how you can save on the series and get a free leadership coaching session. I'm Terry Schmidt, executive and leadership coach as strong leader serve where I partner with compassionate driven leaders to transform potential into performance. And this is the Strong Leader Serve podcast. In today's organizations, you probably often find yourself in situations where your positional authority isn't enough to make the impact that you're aiming for. Whether you're in a meeting with a senior leader or trying to collaborate with a peer in another department, the ability to influence without authority has become a core leadership skill. So I wanna know, what does the research tell us about influencing without authority? Here are some of the highlights, Robert Cialdini's. Principles of persuasion remind us that people are moved by things like reciprocity, liking authority and social proof, emotional intelligence, according to Daniel, Goldman and others, is critical for building trust and navigating complex power dynamics. David Rock's scarf model explains how perceived threats to status certainty. Autonomy, relatedness or fairness can derail our influence efforts. And from behavioral economics, we know that people are often driven more by avoiding losses than by achieving gains. Let's start with something that nearly every leader has to do, yet very few are taught how to do well. Managing up whether your boss is supportive, distracted, detail, obsessed or inconsistent, your relationship with them directly affects your ability to succeed and to serve your team well. So what can you do? Well, first, understand their world. Okay. One of the most effective first steps is to get curious about your boss's priorities, pressures, and preferences. You might ask, what are your top three goals this quarter? how do you prefer to receive updates, written or quick verbal check-ins, this taps into emotional intelligence and helps you reduce ambiguity, a key need in the scarf model under certainty. Second frame proposals in their language. When you bring ideas to your boss or another senior leader, frame them in terms of what matters to them, not just what matters to you. That could be revenue, efficiency, visibility, or innovation. Use clear, concise language that links your idea to strategic goals. And remember, you don't need to have all the answers. Chaldini reminds us that confidence plus credibility builds influence. So back up your proposal with a few strong data points or case examples. Third, use loss aversion wisely. Behavioral science tells us that people are more likely to act to avoid a loss than to pursue a gain. So if you're making a pitch and want to drive urgency, try framing the risk of inaction. If we delay this process improvement, we could lose another quarter to inefficiencies, which impacts client retention. That kind of framing activates decision makers, protective instincts. And shows your thinking like a strategic partner. And finally, manage difficult bosses with boundaries and trust. If you're working with a boss who's critical, inconsistent, or hands off Research, from Harvard Business Review and psychology suggests two things. First, be proactive with communication. Don't wait for them to check in. And second set respectful boundaries. For example, you might say, I wanna make sure I'm delivering what matters most. Can we check in weekly for 15 minutes so I can stay aligned with your priorities? You're not pushing back, but you're offering structure that benefits you both. Managing up isn't about flattery or avoidance. It is about creating a relationship where both of you can do your best work, and that starts with clarity, empathy, and strategic framing. Now, what about when you need to influence your peers or other cross-functional partners? This is where many leaders feel stuck because unlike with direct reports, you can't assign tasks. And unlike managing up, you don't always have shared incentives, but influence across teams is still completely possible and powerful. So what are some things you can do? Well, first, build relationships before you need them. That might sound obvious, but one of the biggest predictors of whether you'll succeed in influencing a peer is. How strong your relationship is before you make the Ask. Research from the Center for Creative Leadership and Harvard Business Review show that cross-functional influence is rooted in trust and credibility, so invest early. You might wanna ask yourself, have I offered help before asking for it? Does this peer see me as competent and fair? If you can ask and answer those questions positively before you need help from your peer, it will make asking them for help later much easier. Second, use organizational currencies in their book, influence Without Authority. Cohen and Bradford talk about currencies, things of value in organizations. These could be information, access to data, resources, time saving solutions, or visibility. Find out what matters to your peer and offer something that aligns with it. Maybe your team can assist with data gathering for their project if they support yours later. That's reciprocity. And action. Third, co-create solutions. Don't bring fully baked plans to peer leaders and expect immediate buy-in. Instead, invite them into the process early. Maybe you could try something like, I've been thinking about a solution to our overlapping handoff issues. Can I bounce a few ideas off you and hear your perspective now, they're not being told. They're being included. That's huge for autonomy and relatedness. Two big levers in the scarf model. Next frame benefits through their lens. Just like when managing up, tailor your message to their goals. If their department is under pressure to hit operational metrics, don't pitch your project as transformational. Pitch it as practical and efficient. Also leverage social proof if other teams or respected peers are on board. Mention that people want to know they're not the first to take a risk and finally handle conflict with clarity and respect. When tensions arise, hold the line with empathy and assertiveness. Avoid making it personal. Instead, name the shared goal and focus on moving forward saying something like, I know we both want this launch to go well, I'd love to hear what's getting in the way from your side so we can adjust. That builds trust even when you disagree. Now, whether you're managing a boss who's hard to read or trying to get support from a peer who's overloaded. Your ability to influence without authority is one of the most important leadership tools and the best part, it's something that you can learn and we'll be building that skill together inside the Leadership Build series. These workshops utilize Lego Series play and other methods to help you process, reflect and solve real leadership challenges in creative and practical ways. And as promise, since you've listened 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 coaching session with me when you go to strong leaders serve.com/build and use the code podcast. Again, that's strong leader serve.com/build, and the code is podcast to get 25% off the early bird price, plus a free one-on-one coaching session with me. Thank you so much for being here. If this episode resonated with you, definitely share it or leave a quick review. Thank you so much for being here. It has been a wonderful season, and I can't wait to be back with you when we start the next season Enjoy your summer And until next time. Remember, lead with courage and serve with intention.