Invest in the success of the person sitting next to you.
Work beyond your own tasks to make your whole team better.
Small acts of leadership builds your influence and professional presence. As you move up, your success depends less on your technical skills and more on your ability to guide people and keep projects on track. Real leadership is to be the most prepared person in the room and help the group stay focused.
If a meeting starts to drift off-track, avoid staying silent while time is wasting away. Instead, ask a clarifying question like, “To make sure I’m following, how does this point align with the goal we set at the start?” Providing that bit of structure is a huge service to the group.
Leadership also shows up through peers coaching peers. If you have mastered a specific software or a company process, offer to walk a teammate through it when they’re struggling. You’re not doing their work for them; you’re empowering them to be more effective. When you invest in the success of the people sitting next to you, you create a ripple effect of high performance. You stop being just an employee who does their own tasks and start becoming a professional who makes the whole team better.
Put these approaches into practice.
Let’s look at practical ways to build your professional influence by helping your team stay focused and investing in their success.
“I used to sit through hour-long brainstorms that went nowhere, feeling frustrated but silent. One day, I spoke up: ‘To make sure I’m following, how does this new idea align with the budget goal we set at the start?’ The room went quiet, then everyone pivoted back to the initial goal. My manager later thanked me for guarding the team's time.”
DON’T stay silent when a meeting drifts off-track or becomes unproductive, assuming it’s not your place to speak up.
DO provide structure by asking clarifying questions that realign the group with the original goal.
“A peer was struggling with our new CRM and it was slowing down our project. Instead of taking over his account, I offered a 15-minute screen-share to show him my shortcuts. Our project sped up, and, because I had invested in his success, he later advocated for me as I pursued future opportunities.”
DON’T do a struggling teammate’s work for them just to get it done faster, which creates dependency rather than growth.
DO offer to walk a teammate through a process or software you’ve mastered, empowering them to be more effective.
“I realized my technical skills were fine, but my influence was low. I started spending 10 minutes before every meeting prepping a cheat sheet of the latest project stats. When the group hit an impasse, I had the data ready.”
DON’T show up to meetings ready to listen without reviewing the agenda or relevant data beforehand.
DO be the most prepared person in the room so you can provide the details needed to keep projects on track.
“I found a way to automate our weekly status reports. Instead of just enjoying my extra free time, I shared the template with the whole team.
DON’T focus exclusively on your own tasks while ignoring the struggles of those around you.
DO create a ripple effect of high performance by sharing your best practices and process improvements with the group.
“I used to wait for a manager role to act like a leader. I changed that by proactively setting up a monthly knowledge swap for my fellow juniors. This created a space for us to grow together.”
DON’T assume that your professional presence is tied only to your job title or your years of experience.
DO build influence as a future leader by consistently showing your work ethic and guidance skills.
The next time a meeting feels a bit lost or a teammate looks stuck, what is one “clarifying question” or offer of help you can provide to move things forward?
Integrate these professional strategies into your workflow—whether you’re refining your own work or mentoring your team or clients.
