Influential leaders are expert at bringing forth successful ideas and initiatives. Rather than focus on putting their thumbprint on the company growth story, influential leaders are entirely focused on understanding the organization’s needs cross-functionally, helping ensure the right ideas bubble up, and ultimately helping guide their implementation… no matter whose idea it was.
The leaders who have the greatest cross-functional credibility and influence seem to always be the ones who get pulled into key conversations, asked for their perspective, and tapped for high-profile projects. They’re the ones looking for solutions, demonstrating awareness and sensitivity to cross-functional needs, and helping their colleagues feel seen and included. Their colleagues genuinely want those leaders involved because they always seem to make things more successful.
You don’t need to be in a management role or lead teams of people in order to establish this kind of credibility and influence. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some remarkable leaders, each of whom has demonstrated these capabilities through their day-to-day interactions. Here’s what they focused on:
This isn’t just networking and small talk. (Although, that’s important, too). Establishing relationships with cross-functional colleagues means understanding their work and understanding who they are as leaders. Demonstrate that you’re someone who is authentically interested in seeing them be successful.
Take the time to learn your stakeholders' realities and priorities. When you understand interdependencies between your work and theirs, you’ll be better equipped to provide solutions that meet the organization’s needs while ensuring that your proposed plans don’t throw a wrench in your colleagues’ operations.
One of the most important ways in which you can develop cross-functional credibility is by doing what I call “taking-in influence.” When you’re trying to solve a problem or develop a strategy, asking for others’ input is crucial. This helps you see the problem from different angles; it taps into your colleagues’ wisdom, and helps ensure that your plan addresses multiple stakeholders’ priorities and pain points—all of which improve your proposed solution.
Your colleagues can more effectively advocate for your work because it reflects their perspective, they feel invested in the strategy as contributors, and they’re well-versed in describing that solution when communicating to others.
Use this technique in your day-to-day work, not just when making major decisions or proposing new ideas. Asking for input is an excellent way to build rapport, uncover new information, and find thought-partnership.
In the scenarios where you are presenting a proposal to the organization, you’ll want to start laying the groundwork early. As your idea crystallizes, now is the time to start pre-communicating to your stakeholders (beyond those who helped you in the consultation stage). Ideally, the first time your stakeholders hear your idea should not be in a group setting. In that scenario, it’s incredibly difficult to manage the individuals’ reactions, provide clarification, and allow for exploration of thoughts in real time. If you have a few outspoken or unreasonable colleagues in the conversation, the situation can spiral out of control quickly.
Instead, take the time to meet individually with as many of your stakeholders as you can. Present your idea as a work in progress and something you’d like to bring forward as a recommendation. Make space in that one-on-one conversation for your colleagues to react, shift in their chair, push back on your suggestions, and share candid feedback about what's not landing well for them. Some individuals prefer to have a bit of time to process what you’ve shared before responding, so a follow-up conversation might be necessary.
You’ll find that these discussions not only help you refine your ideas, but also give you a better sense of who your detractors and supporters are when it comes time to present this idea in a group setting and drive towards a decision. Doing a soft-launch of your ideas can make all the difference between your colleagues embracing your strategy versus protesting and resisting it.
When new ideas emerge or changes occur, most people are hardwired to wonder “what’s in it for me?” Keep this in mind as you’re interacting with colleagues, whether you’re presenting new ideas or simply discussing the current work to be done. Put your work in the context of company goals and your internal stakeholders’ goals. (What’s in it for them?) This gives the subtle reminder that you’re invested in your colleagues’ success.
When you present new recommendations, they'll tend to land more successfully if you can reflect a nuanced understanding of your stakeholders’ objectives and challenges that you uncovered during the consultation and vetting stages. Even if your strategy is closely aligned with shared company priorities, highly influential stakeholders can torpedo your idea if it creates hardships for their particular team.
Developing cross-functional credibility and influence begins with how you show up day to day. By laying the groundwork with the relationships you build and the ways in which you communicate, you create the avenues to be included in key conversations and tapped for strategic priorities. Ultimately, this enables you to have a greater impact on the organization and its mission.