Influence Over Authority

Fast forward to around 2019, when I was leading large portfolios across multiple geographies, working with teams spread across India, the United States, and Europe.

The scale was completely different. Hundreds of people. Multiple stakeholders. High expectations.

But here was the reality: Most of these people did not report to me.

I remember sitting in a governance meeting with senior stakeholders from different regions, realizing that formal authority had very limited value in that room.

No one was obligated to follow my direction. And yet, alignment was critical.

That's when I shifted my approach. Instead of directing, I started aligning. Instead of pushing decisions, I started building consensus. Instead of relying on authority, I focused on influence.

I spent more time understanding stakeholder priorities, building relationships, and creating trust.

It was slower in the beginning. But far more effective. Because once alignment was built, execution became smoother.

That phase taught me a powerful lesson: Authority might get you compliance. But only influence gets you commitment.

And at scale, commitment is everything.