No Title? No Problem. Influence Without Authority

You don’t need a big title to have impact — you need influence.
And most high-achieving women are trying to earn it the hard way: over-delivering, hoping to be noticed, or “speaking up more.”

In this episode, we get practical about building influence in a way that feels authentic and strategic — not political or fake.

You’ll learn:

•  Why “work should speak for itself” is a myth
•  The 3 people you actually need to influence
•  How informal check-ins build trust and reduce resistance
•  Why ND women are better at influence than they realise

If you want your work to be seen, supported, and remembered — this episode shows you how to make that happen without burning out.

🛠️ Download the free Spot Workplace Grooming (Free Guide + Checklist) here.

 👀 Want the manual for figuring out WTF people actually mean at work? Get How to Read the Room – Your ND Corporate Playbook here. 

💻 Want more support? Here’s how to work with me 1:1: here

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⚠️ Disclaimer:   This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or psychological advice. Any stories, examples, or scenarios discussed are illustrative and may be composites or anonymised accounts. They do not refer to any specific individual, client, workplace, or organisation. 

Transcript

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Michelle Kevill: 0:37

Hello, my corporate survivalists. How are we? I feel weird not doing the intro in the podcast, but what I've done is I've like, pre recorded the intro in the intro so that I don't have to mention it here. But it always feels so weird me getting, like, straight into it, but I feel like you're here for the content, and if you want to find out more about, like, my life or what's going on, you should actually follow me on Instagram or Tiktok. I should be by this point, if you're hearing it, doing a mini series to help you stay safe at work and how to spot anyone that is very manipulative. But I'm just going to get into it. So here we go. So today we're going to dive into a skill that is going to shift you from being a, you know, well respected team player to someone that is more influential. Okay, you know you're getting a little bit more noticed, and it's going to help you slide more into that next promotion that you want, and that is influencing without authority. Okay, so I'm not talking about managing up like in my previous episodes, or handling conflict, difficult people, or, like, manipulative feedback, or necessarily surviving, really surviving corporate what I'm talking about today is and in, like, super simple language, whenever you hear that, is it, all it means is getting people who don't report to you are In your team. Technically, you don't really have to care. It might even be hierarchically above you to support you say yes and actually give a shit about what you're doing. So it's not necessarily about being manipulative. It's about knowing how to build real relationships and alignment at work, where people will want to back you your ideas and the outcomes that you bring. This is where you start to become, instead of, again, that team player, you're seen as more credible, collaborative and really worth listening to without needing the fancy title or your boss's permission. Rather, you're building a brand or presence with people who you may not even fully be on their radar yet, because what I see way too often is brilliant, neurodivergent, very reliable, smart women who deliver on time, time and time again, but they're not getting noticed. They're not getting tapped for stretch opportunities, and that is because they're not building this influencing muscle that actually helps shift perception and open doors for you, okay, so by the end of this episode, you are going to know how to start building influence in your organization without needing this fancy title, okay, without needing your manager, and, most importantly, without turning into some corporate Pick Me drone, okay, like, just your smart, authentic self and influence that feels really good. It's not fake, it's not manipulative. It's yours in your way that gets results, plus you're gonna understand a little bit around, like, the sneaky psychology behind why some of these things that I'm telling you work so well. And if you love this you love this episode. If you want more of this in your inbox, you should get on my email list, because I will be sending you little bite sized nuggets of gold on how to show up as you at work, play the game without selling your soul and make real moves at work without getting like, stuck in all the noise. Okay, it's not spam. There's no fluff. There is just straight talking support strategy with a bit of sass. So head to my show notes, link in bio, all of that wherever you can find me. So what I'm going to cover is this. I'm going to tell you why influencing without authority really matters, and how it's different from just managing people and some of the episodes I've spoken about before, how to figure out who actually matters without needing, like, a fancy org chart or to, like, overthink this right? And also how to start building influence through small, strategic, little things that actually work and build this muscle. Okay? So I'm going to tell you why this matters. Okay, because I have talked about this before on office politics. You've heard a little bit around, you know, why she believes she'd be engaged. And I do this massive, like, sell, because a lot of the clients that I work with are like, either over reading things, or they're like, I just want to do my job. Like, it sucks that I have to do this. And like, you know, have to read into everything. And I'm like, you don't like you need self, trust, discernment and practice at playing some of the game. But I'm really, really honing in on it, because it does help you so much once you can learn it. So here's the thing, the people that you work with at any level, like they do not have to care about the crap that you do, but you need them to Okay? Because whether it's getting a cross functional project off the ground, getting that budget approved for that project that you're working on, or just simply having your work seen by the right eyes, regardless of what type of like manager you have, none of this happens in isolation. Okay, like you do need. Some traction and backing behind this. And this isn't always coming from someone who you report into or vice versa reports into you. Okay, it's not just your date, like it's the stakeholders and the people around with that you work with that don't always owe you anything, and that's where influencer authority kicks in, because it is really the art of either planting ideas early, building quiet momentum, getting people on board before there's even a pitch to make. So you know, when the Ask lands are kind of already halfway sold, and none of this, for some reason, is taught in university or anywhere, and it is ridiculous. And I want to make this clear, this is not about getting people to like you. It is about making sure the right people understand the value of what you're doing, even if you're not directly in their team, their remit or just like list of priorities. Because here is the thing, it doesn't matter how strong your business case is, how hard you've been working or how many boxes you've ticked, if the people with power, budget or influence don't know or don't care, like it'll fall flat. And the problem is, corporate is full of people who are just busy. If you are not front of mind, then you are typically seen as invisible. So influence without authority. Again, it's how you like very gently but powerfully in your own way, make your work seen, supported and remembered by the right people before you need that green light. And it's a skill that is turning you from like a really safe pair of hands, someone that's reliable and get things done into a person that people want in the room, you know, to bounce off ideas and to move things forward. Okay, it's not loud, it doesn't it's not fake, but it is intentional. And that is what's separating you from someone who's possibly be, oh my god, I cannot speak today, possibly being overlooked for someone who's being like, fast track for that promotion. Now I know what you're thinking, and I hear this all the time, which is just like, I don't want to do this. I don't want to touch it. It it just sounds like sucking up or playing a fake corporate Pick Me robot drone game. And no again, this whole podcast is like, you know, build influence, play the game with your authenticity. Okay, this is the thing that I found was missing in the whole market. How do you blend all the executive coaching with all the deep kind of inner work, and bring your authentic self out in your way, and play this game your way. It is possible and you can do that okay. So influencing with authority is how smart, value driven women make their work visible without burning out, trying to prove themselves every five seconds. Because this is what I get all the time. It's like, super, super burnt out. And I'm like, the energy is going in the wrong direction here. So if you don't learn this skill, what seems to happen is you can stay stuck in that, you know, reliable but overlooked zone, and you'll keep doing the heavy lifting while someone else with half the goddamn impact, but just happens to have more visibility, gets that stretch role or promotion. There's another thing to add to this. Getting promoted doesn't also magically fix this. Like, again, you're just going to be operating at a higher level. It's not like, Oh, if I get promoted, then I can, you know, have all this influence and people listen to me. No, you're just surrounded by even more people above you with competing priorities. So the more senior you actually go, I'd say the less direct control you have, because you're really relying on your team and beyond to build and do the work. So the more you need to master influencing without authority just to get anything off the ground. And finally, again, if you're holding that old belief that I hear all the time, that work should speak for itself. I'm telling you now it won't, not in a matrix, overwork, overworked, distracted corporate environment, it will speak louder when the right people are already listening, though. So influence is how you're going to make sure they are okay. So I've told I've given you the sales pitch on like, why this is an important skill. Now I'm going to tell you a little bit around how to do it, but, but let's start with who actually matters. Okay, so how do we start building influence without authority? We map it out, and, no, I do not mean some massive org chart or a deck full of multiple freaking arrows and little boxes and too many words that you trying to read I'm talking. I seriously, it's just a quick mental scan of who actually matters here, especially relating to what project you're doing or working on. Okay, who do I need to be across if I want to move things forward, if I want to be noticed for these types of promotion, etc? So you want to figure out three things. Firstly, who is calling the shots, as in, who is making the final decision on the thing, who is actually signing off or giving the green light, right? The next one is, who has your back or could have your back, okay? They are your like, kind of like, low key champions, people. Who believe in your work, but they will vouch for you even when you're not in the room. And the next like, couldn't think of a better word for this, because it sounds a bit cringe to me, but like gatekeepers, but really, let's just call it SMEs, okay, like these are the people that you need to work with, because they have the information, the context, or skills that, frankly, you don't. And again, I want to make like clear to people that's not a weakness, that's strategy. Okay, like these are the people who help you push the project forward, especially if you work in like, a multi matrix organization where there seems to be a specific team for this specific thing done in this specific way, and then the other thing to push it to this area has to be done by this other team. So you need to, like, you can't do it all. You need to work through these people and work with them and really get them to care as well. In past roles, I've had to manage projects that I felt have, like, touched half the freaking company, like teams I didn't lead systems, I did not own and work that was ended up being nowhere near the original brief. So what I typically used to do is just map it out right, like, really simply, like, who is owning what? Who do I need to loop in and and really, really big one is that I used to ask, like, an absolute ton of, like, really dumb questions, because I'm always translating, like, super technical things to like people from the very top. So I'm trying to like, you know, I'm going deep, and then I'm synthesizing and all of that. Because the thing is, if I'm gonna get anything across the line, I need to be able to explain it clearly across different groups, get alignment and move it forward. And the thing is, you cannot and should not try to know everything. This is another thing that I see really smart women doing, which is, like, I tell everyone this, just ask stupid questions. You are not expected to know everything. You need to just be brave enough to do that. And I have other episodes that like touch on that as well. So listen to this series, and you will just that is like my messaging through this anyway, because, frankly, you knowing everything like it's not possible, but it's also like it's not leadership. Leadership is knowing who you need to ask, asking the questions so you understand and moving the thing across the line. The people who I find get stuck are the ones who are afraid to look like they don't know anything, so they stall instead of collaborating their way forward. Okay, so you know why. You know who you kind of like need to map out, especially if you're like, working across different things. So how do you start building influence? All right? This is one of the most simplest and freaking underrated Influency moves that no one, I feel really talks about and that it's just like an informal check in. Okay? It is not a formal meeting, a slide deck or some drawn out negotiation. It's literally a quick, casual touch point that sets you apart as a thoughtful and strategic operator. Okay, so instead of waiting for, like, for example, like, what I see a lot of my clients do is they're waiting for a big meeting to pitch that idea. You need to start early and kind of warming everyone up to the idea, all right. And this is how, like, you could say, Hey, I'm working on this. I don't know proposal or thing, I just want to check it lines up with you. Or I'd love to hear your thoughts or perspective, given you're, like, an SME in this, if you have time or in the early stages, this would really help. These sounds so freaking simple, but these micro moments actually do so much of the heavy lifting for you. Firstly, it shows your collaborative okay, you're not just dumping your work onto someone. You're bringing them in early. They're getting used to the idea in their head. I think I talked about it in a previous episode. Sometimes people need a little bit of time. They need to kind of sit with it and think it through. It also prevents surprises. No one likes to be blindsided with a last minute request or idea or the discussion. And I talked about how in corporate, sometimes that big final meeting is actually a performance, and need to do little mini meetings on the side to build up to the big performance. The next is building trust. Okay, people feel respected when you and let they love it when you kind of proactively loop them in, okay? And also your credibility starts to be seen like it goes up because, like you're being seen as collaborative and respectful, and it's just helpful. And let me tell you why this works, and the psychology behind it, okay? Firstly, it's reciprocal. Oh, my God, I can't even say it reciprocity. It's reciprocal. I'm going to use that. So here's the thing, when you help people think ahead or solve a problem, they actually naturally want to help you back. So if you help them on a thing vice versa, they want to help you the next is priming. Again, you're warming them up to the idea before you ever have to formally weigh in. So it does mean there's less resistance. Again, people are going away, even subconsciously thinking on it. And the second one is consistency, bias, sorry. The third one, I should say, like you become the one who always like checks in, aligns, and people trust that. But you want to know the real simple. Truth as to why this really works. Okay, people I feel either like feeling helpful or feeling smart, that's it. So your approach might shift depending on their personality and vibe. For example, I'm the type of person who likes to help if you give me a little backstory, and if you've shown me that you have, like, tried, like, hey, you know, we tried this. I maybe read your Confluence thing. We've hit a wall. Would love your direction. And I'm all in because it shows, hey, you've done your best. You've read everything you're, you know, gone, you know, in you're looking for, and also give me a backstory on, like, why you're struggling. And I'm automatically like, oh, man, I've been there. Like, let me help you. But if someone comes to me, like, Hey, you're the expert, we actually just need, you know, need a brilliant eye over this. Personally, I hate that. No hate to the other person, but I feel a bit icky. I'm just like, No, don't. Don't do that. So influencing doesn't mean selling out, it just means showing up early and asking the right questions and letting people feel seen and useful. And you can do this from like a totally real and grounded place, because typically, that's what's actually really going to land with that other person. But it really does depend on their personality, because when I'm asking for help, there are some people who do love them. We need your expertise eyes on this, because they like to feel special. So it's just knowing the vibe of that person and adapting yourself to that so a reminder as well. This isn't a race, because this is really, really important. Influence builds over time. Okay, you're not trying to win people overnight, and very important, you're not trying to win everyone. Okay? As you become more authentic, you're going to need to like win the right people, but there are just always going to be people who just don't like you for you, and that's fine. Okay, the small moments that I'm talking about, I know some of this stuff sounds so simple, but you are planting seeds of trust and familiarity. Okay? People like to bond with other people, even if it's like subconscious, okay, so when you finally do need that big, yes, you're really not starting from scratch. You've already built them in these really small and intentional moments, and it really is about keeping it simple, strategic and authentic, okay? And you can do this in your own way, all right, so whatever fits for you. Okay, so a final word on this. So look, I hear sometimes people, my clients, talk to me and they're like, is this manipulation? And I'm gonna be honest with you, influencing without authority, or any influencing, or any of the stuff I talk about, unless you're a fucking Gremlin about it then, yeah, it's manipulation. You're gonna be an asshole. You're gonna use it to be a dick, sure, but all it really is, it's using you that amazing emotional intelligence that you already have, your empathy, your ability to read the room and pick up on, like, even subtle, you know, emotional cues, and just being more strategic about it. It's just about creating real partnerships with people across different teams, levels and priorities. That is how you become not just reliable, but the one people trust to get things done. You build a rep for making things happen. Your ideas will get backed, and you make things run smoother just by being in the room, and that helps so much with promotions. I don't actually think I feel like anyone that is neurodivergent has been gaslit into believing that they're not very good at reading subtext, cues, etc. And I think that's the opposite. I think what what's actually happening is you're too good at it, so you're doing it all the time, instead of just honing in and using it to be a bit more laser focused and strategic. And once you do that, you can really start to get ahead when you're not bad at reading cues, you're just not very good at trusting your own abilities. Or what I talk about discernment and building that up, which is another word for good judgment, and being able to kind of back yourself with those decisions and being allowed to fail as well. Because, if I'm honest, so many neurodivergent women I've worked with are actually fantastic at building like influence and friendships, and it's because we just have this authentic energy about us, like, we are, you know, interested in other people and how things work, and the project and the workings behind it, and also just people's lives and the things that they do. Like, I feel that there's actually a really big strength in it. And what I see a lot of the time is like people being gaslit into like, I can't read the room, and I'm like, No, you can. You're just reading everyone too much all the time, like every single person, when maybe you should just be reading your manager in that moment or that senior person on what they're saying. That's all it is. So to wrap up influencing without authority just means getting. People who don't owe you shit to care without the title, and it's through mostly building relationships. So again, start to figure out who actually matters. Okay, decision makers, supporters and SMEs like, who will help you move things forward. It does not have to be super formal. You can do like a mental map. But again, when I work in, if you work in like a multi matrix organization. Sometimes you're working across multiple teams, you might actually need to literally map out this team does this and you speak to this person, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, you want to build influence and momentum. Do it through casual low pressure alignment and check ins. This underrated freaking skill helps so much. And again, people want to feel helpful, or they want to feel smart, right? So play to their strength. Your job is to invite them in. You know, you're not going to like push them over. You're just opening up a conversation. All right? I will leave it there, and I will see you in the next two weeks. You.