(3 mins)
A few weeks ago, I was on a call with a client who was… frustrated. Not loud-frustrated but the quiet kind. The one you can tell that if it continues, will lead to burnout because you think you’re doing everything right, but nothing seems to move.
“I don’t get it,” she said. “They ask for input. I give it and then they go in a completely different direction.”
So I asked her to walk me through the last meeting. She pulled up her notes and read out what she said, “I think it might be helpful to explore a different onboarding flow, just based on some of the friction we’ve been seeing…” I paused her right there. Not because the idea was wrong but because it was invisible. There was no anchor, no direction and absolutely no reason for anyone to choose it. It sounded like a thought, not a decision, and decisions don’t move on thoughts or opinions or feelings. They move on clarity.
And hey, I’ve done the exact same thing. I even told her so. I remember being in a conversation where we were deciding how to structure something for a client. I had a strong opinion, as I often do, and instead of just coming out and saying it, I built a whole runway. I gave context, background, and I even added a little story. Then I chose a soft entry point so I didn’t come off too strong. By the time I got to my actual point, I had lost my audience and the energy in the room had already moved on.
Then, a colleague jumped in with, “We should do X. It gets us there faster.” Done. A decision was made and that was it. No over-explaining, no tiptoeing around the actual idea. It was clear, direct and just easy to follow.
And that’s when it clicked for me. Influence isn’t about having the best idea, it’s about making your idea the easiest one to say yes to.
Back to my client. We didn’t change her idea. We changed how she positioned it. Instead of, “I think it might be helpful to explore a different onboarding flow…” She tried, “Right now, onboarding is taking 10 days and we’re seeing drop-off in the first week. If we simplify the flow, we can shorten that timeline and improve early retention. We could adjust X or Y. I’d recommend X because it reduces friction upfront.” Same brain, same insight, different delivery, very different outcome.
Her manager paused and said, “That’s a good point. Let’s try that.” There was no convincing, no softening, no back-and-forth. Her point was clear, direct and aligned to the end goal.
This is where most people get it wrong. They think influence comes from more. More explaining, more detail, more effort, more volume, more meetings, more fill in the blank. But it doesn’t.
It comes from three things most people skip:
First, tying your idea to what already matters. If leadership cares about timelines, talk timelines. If they care about revenue, talk revenue. Not because you’re trying to impress them, but because now you’re speaking their language. The one they respect and reward.
Second, giving direction. Not just “here’s an idea,” but, “here’s the path forward.” People don’t just want input, they want decisions to feel easier.
Third, owning the recommendation. Not hiding behind, “What do you think?” or “Just a thought…” But actually saying, “This is what I recommend.” That’s the part that feels the most uncomfortable and it’s also the part that makes the biggest change.
Here’s the truth: You don’t need authority to influence decisions. You need to make your thinking easier to follow, easier to trust, and easier to act on. That’s it. And once you start doing that, people stop seeing you as someone who contributes and start seeing you as someone who leads. Start leading consistently, and your influence builds up. Build up enough influence and your name gets raised in all the rooms, including the ones you’re not in, and soon this leads to big-impact projects, promotions and pay raises. Remember small changes, big impact.
Quick note before you go - because this is directly connected.
Last Friday’s masterclass didn’t quite go as planned, so I’m running it back. And honestly, this might be your lucky break. Because if you’ve been:
doing great work but not getting the recognition
being the “go-to” but not the “move-up
hearing “maybe next cycle” one too many times
Let’s fix that TODAY. I’m teaching a FREE live masterclass: From Invisible → In Demand (Friday @ 2pCT)
Where I’ll show you how to:
No fluff, no overworking, and definitely no awkward self-promotion.
And I’m adding a bonus: The Strategic Visibility Script Pack
So you’re not just learning what to do - you’ll have the exact words to:
talk about your work without sounding arrogant or icky
communicate your impact clearly and confidently
make your contributions easy to recognize and reward
Because knowing the strategy is one thing but having the language is what makes it stick. So, If you’ve been doing great work but not getting the traction you deserve…this is the room you want to be in.
Reply to this email or DM here to join. Let’s make sure your work doesn’t just get done…it gets remembered, respected, and rewarded.
If I don’t see you this afternoon (and I really hope I do), I'll see you next week,
Minal