Managing Up ⬆️ & Down ⬇️: The Art of Influencing Without Authority
- Jacqui Walsh
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
We’ve all been there, that awkward space where you can see what needs to happen, but you don’t have the title or the authority to make it so. Maybe your boss is the bottleneck. Perhaps your colleague is holding onto a decision, like fine wine🍷. Maybe you’re leading a project where everyone has an opinion but no one has accountability.
Welcome to the world of influencing without authority, also known as “herding cats in a suit.”
The ability to manage up, down and sideways is one of the most valuable (and underrated) workplace skills. It’s how work actually gets done in today’s flat, fast, and cross-functional environments. Titles no longer guarantee traction — influence does.
Managing Up: it’s not sucking up.
Let’s get this out of the way first: managing up isn’t about flattery or politics. It’s about helping your leader succeed, which in turn helps you succeed.
The best people I’ve coached know their manager’s priorities, preferences, and pressure points. They make decisions easy, not hard. They anticipate needs instead of waiting for instructions.
💡 Try these:
Think like your boss. What’s keeping them up at night? How does your work make their life easier?
Be concise. Leaders love a bottom line: “Here’s the situation, here’s my recommendation.”
Deliver early warnings. No surprises. If a risk is brewing, raise it with solutions, not just problems.
Managing up well doesn’t mean doing everything they ask, it means aligning what you do to what matters most to them and the organisation.
Managing Down: it’s not bossing.
When you lead others (formally or informally), influence comes from trust and clarity, not titles. People follow those who make them feel seen, supported, and capable.
💡 Try these:
Set context, not just tasks. “Here’s why this matters…” creates ownership.
Ask, don’t tell. Questions invite engagement: “What do you think the next step should be?”
Give feedback that grows. Replace “That’s not right” with “Let’s try this together.”
It’s about unlocking energy, not enforcing compliance.
The secret weapon: Your Circle of Influence
This is where the PEP lens comes in.
We can spend a lot of time worrying about things in our Circle of Concern, decisions above us, organisational politics, resource gaps, things outside our control. But influence grows when we focus on what we can control.
💡 The more you work inside your Circle of Influence, the bigger it gets. Every time you show credibility, reliability, empathy, or calm in chaos, you expand your influence. Every time you react emotionally to something beyond your control, you shrink it.
A quick audit:
Can I control this? → Act.
Can I influence it? → Engage with empathy and facts.
Can I only be concerned about it? → Let it go, or find a constructive outlet.
The language of influence
Words matter. Here’s a quick PEP-style swap list for language that builds credibility and confidence:
Instead of... | Try saying... |
“You need to...” | “What if we considered…” |
“I can’t do that.” | “Here’s what I can do.” |
“That won’t work.” | “Have we thought about how this might impact…” |
“I think…” | “Based on what we’ve seen so far…” |
“This is urgent.” | “This is important because…” |
These subtle shifts change your tone from reactive to responsible, and that changes how people respond to you.
Building confidence without a crown
Confidence in influence doesn’t come from title, tenure or loudness. It comes from preparation, credibility, and calm.
A few grounding habits I see in great influencers:
Know your stuff. Credibility is confidence’s best friend.
Listen more than you talk. It shows strength, not weakness.
Speak last. It lets you summarise and steer without imposing.
Stay consistent. People trust calm predictability more than charisma.
And when all else fails, remember: confidence isn’t “I’m always right.” It’s “I’m willing to engage, even if I’m not.”
Your Friday Stop & Think
You don’t need authority to lead. You need clarity, credibility and courage.
Start small: Pick one situation this week that frustrates you, something outside your direct control. Ask yourself: What’s within my influence? Then act there. Watch how the circle expands.
And if you’re still tempted to chase control? Just remember: even the best cat herders don’t get all the cats, they just get enough moving in the same direction. 🐾
Happy Friday everyone! Have a great weekend.
Jacqui Walsh
Professional Services Manager & Senior Coach