Strategic Decisions Without Formal Authority: 6 Steps To Influence

How to Drive Strategic Decisions Without Formal Authority at Work

In many organizations, those with the deepest insights or most innovative ideas are not always the ones with formal authority. Whether you are a functional expert, project lead, or high-potential individual contributor, true impact comes from shaping direction, mobilizing stakeholders, and aligning teams — regardless of what the org chart says. The challenge is real: how can you drive strategic decisions without formal authority at work?

Why Informal Influence Matters: Insights From Research on Modern Work Environments
Organizational culture research consistently shows that high performance and engagement are often hard to sustain in matrixed work environments. Why? Because accountability, information flow, strategic clarity, and decision-making authority can become diffuse, creating confusion and misalignment.

Recent findings from Gallup highlight just how prevalent this challenge is: 84% of U.S. employees work in a matrixed structure. Within this group:

• 49% sometimes serve on multiple teams.

• 18% always serve on multiple teams but report to the same manager.

• 17% always serve on multiple teams and report to different managers.

These realities underscore why informal influence — the ability to guide decisions, build stakeholder alignment, and drive action without formal authority — is critical for both individual and organizational success.

The 4 Research-Backed  Negotiation & Influence Leadership Competencies that Matter Most
Leadership simulation assessment data highlights the ability to influence key decisions without positional power as a critical leadership skill across four measurable influence and negotiation and competencies.

• Building Strategic Relationships
  Quickly establish rapport with key stakeholders by identifying which relationships should be initiated or improved, supporting key business partners to succeed, and creating win-win agreements.
• Creating Buy-In
  Build willingness to back initiatives by forming a support base of key stakeholders by identifying people’s needs, wants and agendas, anticipating people’s reactions to ideas, and selling key stakeholders on the benefits of change.
• Eliminating Barriers to Change
  Identify and overcome barriers to change (e.g., cultural roadblocks, misaligned business practices, and outdated systems) by addressing people’s fears and reluctances, convincing people to take action, and gaining agreement on next steps.
• Negotiating Well
  Engage in bargaining discussions that achieve mutually beneficial agreements by communicating benefits for both parties, engaging in collaborative problem solving, highlighting the value and impact of preferred solutions, and asking for agreement on next steps.

6 Steps to Drive Strategic Decisions Without Formal Authority at Work

1. Build Credibility Through Expertise and Reliability
   Influence begins with trust. People follow those who consistently demonstrate competence and integrity. Research published in the Academy of Management Journal (2018) found that employees who are perceived as reliable experts wield more informal influence than peers with higher titles but lower credibility.

   To earn trust at work, follow through on promises, bring evidence-based insights, and communicate with clarity. Strategic credibility is earned through situational awareness, business acumen, and value creation.

   Can your leaders:

   • Consistently anticipate business needs rather than react to them?
   • Effectively balance short- and long-term priorities?
   • Always deliver exceptional and strategically aligned insights and results?
2. Frame Issues in Organizational, Not Personal, Terms
   A recent McKinsey report found that framing initiatives in the language of corporate strategy dramatically increases buy-in across functions. We know from action learning leadership development programs that stakeholders are more receptive when proposals are tied directly to enterprise strategic priorities rather than personal preferences. For example, instead of advocating for a new system because it will make your team’s job easier, frame it in terms of revenue impact, risk reduction, or customer outcomes.

   Can your leaders objectively frame issues strategically?

3. Cultivate a Broad Coalition of Support
   We know from change management training that while formal authority gives leaders decision rights, informal influence comes from understanding and building coalitions. Strategic leaders don’t just focus on their next move — they see the big picture in motion, anticipating the vertical and horizontal ripple effects across people, functions, and time horizons. Influential leaders identify stakeholders who care about or have influence over the issue, map their interests, and engage them early and often.

   Can your leaders persuade and align varied stakeholders around shared goals while navigating the seen and unseen ecosystem of workplace politics, priorities, stakeholders, and tradeoffs?

4. Master the Art of Strategic Communication
   Without formal authority, what you say and how you say it matters. We know from communication essentials training that concise, tailored, and well-timed messaging can shift perceptions and decisions. Highly influential leaders adapt their language to the audience, avoid jargon, emphasize outcomes, and use compelling narratives that illustrate audience-centric impact.

   Influence without authority is about intention, courage, and connection. Strategic leaders elevate their impact not by saying more, but by shaping conversations that deepen understanding, spark alignment, and drive better outcomes.

   Can your leaders deeply engage stakeholders, create enough shared ownership, and articulate what matters most?

5. Leverage Small Wins to Build Momentum
   Change management consulting experts know that big strategic shifts rarely happen all at once. Project postmortem data confirms that driving organizational change without authority often requires patience and incremental progress. Whenever possible, secure smaller victories that demonstrate impact and credibility.

   Each success builds momentum, expands your influence, and strengthens your case for larger decisions. Leaders who showcase tangible progress, even in small doses, are seen as catalysts rather than complainers.

   Are your leaders achieving enough visible and meaningful quick wins?

6. Influence Through Reciprocity and Value Creation
   Influence at work is a two-way street, not a solo endeavor. One of the most overlooked levers of informal influence is reciprocity.  Leaders who support others’ initiatives, share insights freely, and connect colleagues to resources earn greater levels of influence than those with scarcity mentality.

   Over time, an abundance mentality positions you as a leader who helps others succeed for the greater good. In return, when it’s time to advocate for a strategic decision, you will find allies willing to support your agenda.

The Bottom Line
We know form decision making training that driving strategic decisions without formal authority is less about power and more about credibility, framing, and relationships. By establishing trust through expertise and adding value, leaders can influence and shape decisions even in the absence of positional power.

To learn more about how to drive strategic decisions without formal authority at work, download Organizational Savvy – How to Understand Workplace Politics to Influence Others

by Tristam Brown: CEO

Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.