Challenges of leading data initiatives without authority

TPMs and PMs get blamed for what they can’t control. No team. No authority. Just deadlines, and your reputation on the line. That’s the job. And if you don’t master influence, you get steamrolled. By silos. By louder voices. By decision-makers who don’t even know your name. When I had to convince a 5,000-person global org to change tools, workflows, and delivery models, authority didn’t help. Influence did. Here are 5 real-world tactics I used to get buy-in without a title to lean on: 1/ Clarify what each team gets out of it →People don’t care about your roadmap. →They care about their priorities. Make them overlap. 2/ Create joint ownership, not just joint tasks →Shared outcomes mean shared credit. →No one wants accountability without visibility. 3/ Have the real convos before the meeting →You don’t build alignment in the meeting. →You reveal it. Pre-align or prepare to fail in public. 4/ Attack the problem, not the person →If people get defensive, you’ve already lost. →Strip the ego. Solve the issue. 5/ Let respected peers sell your ideas for you →Influence lands faster when it comes from someone they already trust. →Force Multiply, early and often. You’re not a coordinator. You’re a leader without a throne. Influence isn’t politics. It’s survival. And if you want to get promoted, you’d better be able to prove you can lead without authority. This is strategic visibility. What’s one influence move that’s helped you lead when the org chart said you couldn’t? Drop it in the comments below👇. Repost to help others influence and lead without authority. Follow Elizabeth Dworkin for more on strategic visibility. Let's connect! If you are looking for help breaking career stagnation and want to improve your strategic visibility, send me a DM and let's talk about how I can help! #strategicvisibility #leadership #influencewithoutauthority #projectmanagement

There’s a particular kind of leadership challenge I see all the time: someone who knows what needs to change, but doesn’t have the authority to make it happen. They might be a product manager, staff engineer, team lead, or rising IC—responsible for driving initiatives across teams, but without direct control over decisions. They’re often the glue that holds things together, the quiet strategist behind stalled cross-functional efforts. They want to move work forward, earn respect, and be effective without pulling rank. But that’s hard when: Stakeholders won’t commit Cross-functional partners don’t respond Progress stalls because of misalignment or inertia Inside, these leaders often feel powerless, frustrated, or invisible—like they’re doing the emotional labor of leadership without the title, resources, or credit. It raises a deep question: can you really lead if you don’t have formal power? My answer is yes. But leadership in this case isn’t about authority. It’s about influence. Influence isn’t magic. It’s a craft. And it’s learnable. When I coach emerging leaders, here’s the path we take: Clarify what you’re really trying to change: a decision, a mindset, a process? Map the landscape of motivations: who’s invested, who’s blocked, who’s stuck in fear? Build trust before pushing for agreement Tell a better story—one that resonates with what others care about Don’t wait for permission to practice leadership Influence is a muscle. You grow it by using it—even when it’s uncomfortable, even when you’re not sure it will work. If you’re tired of feeling like the smartest person in the room without the voice to match, let’s change that. Influence is learnable. Whether you’re stepping into bigger leadership or just trying to get traction in a messy org, I can help you build presence, clarity, and power. Coaching or fractional—let’s talk. #leadershipdevelopment #influencematters #productleadership #coaching #techleaders #emergingleaders

One phrase I’d love to leave behind in 2024: "𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵/𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦-𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵." Why? Because it’s often followed by leadership asking someone like you (and me) to provide “innovative solutions.” 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Do more with less. And when you don’t have formal authority, this becomes a masterclass in uphill battles. You don’t own the resources. You don’t control the budget. Yet you’re expected to: • Manage stakeholders • Communicate effectively • Navigate conflicts • Inspire collaboration • Motivate a matrixed team Sound familiar? As much as I want to leave the budget-constrained narrative in 2024, reality says otherwise. It’s here to stay in 2025. So what can you do when you’re the leader they call, without the authority they rely on? Here are my 𝟯 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆. • Understand their motivations, priorities, and pain points. • Build relationships proactively—don’t wait until a crisis to connect. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹. • Frame your asks around shared wins. People will align when they see the benefit for themselves. • Use storytelling to create an emotional connection to your vision. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. • Trust your skills, even when others don’t explicitly say it. • Focus on the facts of your achievements, not the feelings of doubt. Leadership isn’t about titles; it’s about impact. And your ability to thrive in these environments will set you apart. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲: What’s your go-to strategy for leading without formal authority? Let’s share insights in the comments.