Build Influence Without Being Seen as a Threat (Part 1 of 3): Strategic Empathy
If you’ve ever shared a strong idea and felt the room tense or held back because you "didn’t want to step on your boss’s toes," you’re not alone. Your voice matters A LOT, so let’s make sure it’s heard, valued, and respected. This series is doing just that while ensuring you are not held back or blocked by being perceived as a threat: Strategic Empathy.
Why “strategic empathy”?
Strategic Empathy isn’t just kindness, it’s preparation. It shows you understand and care what matters to the person (their priorities, pressures, and wins). When people feel seen and understood, they feel safe and therefore more open to your ideas, input, and requests. Strategic empathy is the runway to have your influence take off.
Plan as if you’re in their seat.
Before a key conversation, step into their role and ask:
- What’s mission-critical for them this quarter?
- What’s at risk (budget, headcount, credibility, timeline)?
- What would make this quarter a 10+?
Shape your message to help them win. L...
4 Things to Avoid When Asking for What You're Worth
4 Things to Avoid When Asking for What You're Worth
Have you ever felt like (or had the facts) another colleague is being paid more for an equal or lesser role?
The good news is that you’re not alone. The bad news is that it can be very unfair, disrespectful, demotivating, and bad for business.
You may be thinking that this shouldn’t even be an issue, and that there should not be a discrepancy. Agreed 100%.
But, until pay transparency is more regulated and more systems are in place to manage this very real problem, it may be time to speak up! If you already have, a few new tools could make all the difference for round 2.
Yes, it’s going to take time to get further down this road on pay equality, so it may be helpful to get comfortable (or I should say, confident and influential) about asking for what you are worth.
There is progress being made however for pay transparency and fairness, partially in thanks to pay transparency advocate and former Corporate VP, One Commercial Partner at ...
Top 4 Ways NOT to Bomb in the Boardroom
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Top 4 Ways NOT to Bomb in the Boardroom
Have you ever had a meeting, presentation or any important interaction go sideways? Most of us have. Along with being a missed opportunity to gain the influence, recognition or respect we want and deserve, what stings the most is usually our disappointment in ourselves. Let’s make sure it never happens again.
Here are the top 4 ways that amazing leaders and emerging leaders make mistakes AND how to convert the bomb to being a boss in the boardroom (or in any other crucial interaction):
1.) Lack of Preparation
Since you and your colleagues are likely Zoomed out, this is more important now more than ever. Plan key points/asks/needs/outcomes. Think through how you want the interaction to turn out, and how you want to feel once it’s over. Make it as vivid and visceral as possible, then visualize it until you believe it’s possible.
2.) Lack of Empathy
When it comes to crucial conversations, presentations, meetings etc, e...
Need to Perform Under Pressure?
Need to Perform Under Pressure?
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Tiffany has a very important meeting coming that will determine funding for an impactful project. Last quarter when she was presenting her data and making an argument for buy-in, she was challenged. Tiffany was told that her numbers didn’t add up, and there was no clear argument for receiving funding. She was angry that she had no support in the meeting and also fearful that she was losing credibility. This anger and fear disabled her ability to pause, regroup and then better influence her colleagues.
The result?Â
No funding, and a lot of frustration and disappointment.
With coaching, here’s how Tiffany learned to prepare her mind and make sure emotions didn’t get in the way of her expertise the next time she had to show up and deliver.
- Acknowledge and Validate Emotions:Â
For example, “I’m worried about an upcoming important meeting, and it’s ok.” Emotions demand to be acknowledged and are persistent, so this is mu ...
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