Leadership Development: Influence Over Authority

When there are fewer people to do more work, one of the shockwaves is eroded trust, be it between individuals or between individuals and their managers and leadership. Leading with Influence, Not Authority, becomes extremely important to continue to push through tough times.

Economic storm clouds are approaching and the signs are everywhere in Canada. The federal public service lost nearly 10,000 jobs between 2024 and 2025, the first decline in almost a decade. Despite the Prime Minister promising a shrinking federal government via attrition, analysts warn that if budget restraint continues, as many as 57,000 additional positions could be cut by 2028. Meanwhile, Canadian job vacancies fell to their lowest level in nearly eight years, leaving fewer people to shoulder more work.Economic storm clouds are approaching and the signs are everywhere in CanadaEconomic storm clouds are approaching and the signs are everywhere in CanadaEconomic storm clouds are approaching and the signs are everywhere in CanadaEconomic storm clouds are approaching and the signs are everywhere in Canada

How are we supposed to navigate all this while still getting things done?

Influence: The Hidden Leadership Gem

Teams survive crunch times because influence keeps the work moving when authority isn’t enough.

Influence shows up in ordinary moments that change outcomes:

• An analyst clarifies priorities before effort is wasted. 
• A coordinator rebuilds connections between teams that stopped talking. 
• A teammate names the tension everyone else is avoiding. 
• Work continues even when the manager is away, because people step up for each other. 

These are not random acts of goodwill. They’re predictable ways people shape collaboration. There is much research, from behavioural science to leadership studies, which shows us how and why these patterns work.

Let’s explore some proven frameworks that will help shed light on how to make this work for you.

Building Influence for Individual Contributors

Decades of behavioural research, starting with Robert Cialdini’s classic work on influence, show that people are swayed less by authority than by everyday cues: reciprocity, social proof, and consistency. For individual contributors, this is good news.  

How to get work done when you don’t have the right title:  

• Offer help before it’s asked for (reciprocity).  
• Share examples of what’s working elsewhere (social proof).  
• Follow through reliably on commitments (consistency).  

These simple acts build influence that keeps collaboration alive when formal authority is thin. 

Building Influence for Leadership and Management

Leadership thinker John Maxwell describes five levels of influence, from the most basic (“people follow because they have to”) to the most enduring (“people follow because of who you are”).

In times of strain, the middle ground, where trust is earned through what you’ve done and how you’ve treated others, becomes decisive. Titles may give you compliance, but credibility is what earns you collaboration. The higher the level of influence you occupy, the less fragile your team will be under pressure.

Closing Reflection

Things are always changing, but your influence doesn’t have to. In tough times, collaboration survives because people choose to step beyond job descriptions.

The more important question is not “What’s my authority?” — it’s “Where can I have influence?”

How PMC Supports Sustainable Influence

PMC Training’s leadership workshop equips professionals at every level to build influence regardless of title. Pair it with Practical Facilitation Skills and Critical Conversations to deepen tools for collaboration under pressure.