“Nobody has the formal authority to achieve what is necessary, not even with those who report to them. It is an illusion that once upon a time managers could make their direct reports do whatever was needed. Nobody has ever had enough authority—they never have and never will. Organisational life is too complicated for that … Whatever your job, you are expected to join your colleagues in doing important work, which will lead you to influence and be influenced.”

—Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford, Influence Without Authority

Today, most leaders must achieve many of their priorities and objectives collaboratively with and through people over whom they have no direct or positional authority. These non-positional leadership situations require that leaders use the only “authority” available to them: influence. In other words, the complex collaboration environment today increasingly means that leaders must forgo the idea that position and reporting relationships give them the authority to get things done. They must lead with influence – the ability to generate results collaboratively, in a variety of contexts, without direct or positional authority.

andré works with leaders to:
• Improve their ability to achieve business priorities using non-positional leadership
• Create a portfolio of strategic influence relationships
• Build clarity and accountability and limit unproductive conflict with people on whom they rely to achieve their objectives
• Sustain and enhance their influence relationships
• Improve their personal influence