In a matrixed organisation, outcomes rarely come from title alone.
Increasingly, senior leaders are required to deliver through teams and people they don’t directly lead across functions, competing priorities and stakeholders. Therefore, leading through influence is no longer just a secondary capability. It’s becoming an important part of every leader’s skillset.
The challenge is that many leaders still approach cross-functional cooperation with the mindset that authority is enough. It’s not. Research shows that 71% of workers report that a large portion of their work is cross-functional and outside formal job descriptions. This results in modern leadership relying and depending on trust, credibility and alignment rather than positional power.
The most effective leaders understand this. They know that influence is not about pushing harder, but instead, creating the conditions for commitment.
When leading through influence is overlooked
When senior leaders rely too heavily on hierarchy and urgency, collaborative efforts begin to weaken.
Requests start to feel like pressure rather than partnership. Feedback creates defensiveness rather than progress. Short term team compliance is there, but they’re less likely to contribute discretionary effort, surface risks early or engage fully in shared outcomes.
In complex organisations, the quality of cross-functional execution often depends on whether leaders can build trust, align priorities and create genuine ownership beyond their direct span of control.
The good news is that leading through influence can be strengthened and it begins with these mindset shifts.
Leading through influence changes how senior leaders lead
Influence is built through respect, relationship, reciprocity and collaboration. For senior leaders, that requires a deliberate move away from traditional “command and control” leadership and towards village and value creation.
1. Start with business reality, not personal agenda
One of the most common mistakes in matrixed leadership is beginning from a self-focused position: What do I need? Why am I not getting support? How do I get stronger buy-in?
A better starting point is to understand the reality of the people whose support you need. What are they trying to deliver? What pressure are they under? What risks are they managing? How does your request align with their priorities and the broader needs of the business?
Senior leaders who build influence well do not assume alignment. They work to understand context first. That is what makes their leadership credible and their partnerships sustainable.
2. Build trust before seeking commitment
In matrixed environments, trust is often the deciding factor between passive agreement and meaningful support.
The leaders seen as true partners are rarely the most forceful. They are the ones who are clear, considered and easy to work with. They ask better questions, stay close to business priorities and reduce friction for others.
This is especially important in moments of feedback. Senior leaders who lead with influence avoid judgemental or overly directive language. Instead, they create room for reflection, accountability and problem-solving. That approach protects dignity, strengthens trust and improves the quality of the outcome.
3. Create ownership instead of driving compliance
People are more likely to support what they help shape. 70% agreement and 100% commitment. Download the free Team Alignment Guide
One practical discipline is to bring a clear starting point, not a closed solution. When leaders involve others early enough to influence the outcome, they create stronger ownership, better thinking and greater momentum.
This does not mean diluting accountability or slowing decisions unnecessarily. It means understanding that alignment is stronger when people can see their perspective reflected in the path forward.
For senior leaders, the distinction matters. Compliance may deliver activity. Ownership delivers commitment.
Practical ways to strengthen influence as a senior leader
1. Lead with questions that surface context: Before driving action, take time to understand what matters most to key stakeholders. Context improves judgement and increases the likelihood of alignment.
2. Position your work in terms of shared value: Influence grows when people can see how an initiative supports both business priorities and their own objectives. Make the value clear in practical terms.
3. Use feedback to expand thinking, not close it down: Constructive challenge is part of leadership. The difference is in how it is delivered. Use feedback to create clarity and accountability without undermining trust.
4. Treat every interaction as reputation-building: In senior roles, influence compounds over time. People remember who brought clarity, who created unnecessary complexity and who made collaboration easier.
5. Recognise contribution visibly and consistently: Cross-functional outcomes often depend on effort that goes unnoticed. Recognition reinforces the behaviours that make collaboration sustainable and effective.
6. Recommit to the fundamentals of human connection: Listening well, showing genuine interest and avoiding unnecessary criticism are not basic skills to outgrow. They remain central to effective leadership, particularly when formal authority is limited.
The role of leadership development
At Corporate Edge, this is the kind of capability leadership development we help strengthen. Leading through influence is not about surface-level persuasion. We focus on supporting leaders to build trust, navigate complexity and create an environment for success for people that leads to meaningful outcomes. When senior leaders grow in this capability, cross-functional execution improves and organisational culture thrives.
If you want to explore how we support leaders to build practical influence, connect with us through the contact form or explore the leadership solutions available on our website.
Sources & References
Deloitte | Future of Workforce Planning
Harvard Business Review | How Senior Leaders Can Build Their Influence
