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 help you build influence and a strong professional presence. As you advance, your success relies less on technical skills and more on guiding others and keeping projects moving forward. Real leadership means being prepared and helping the group stay focused.
If a meeting starts to go off track, don’t just sit quietly as time slips by. Try asking a clarifying question, such as, “To make sure I’m following, how does this point align with the goal we set at the start?” Offering this kind of structure really helps the group.
Leadership also appears when colleagues help each other. If you know a software or company process well, offer to guide a teammate who is having trouble. You’re not doing their work for them; you’re helping them become more effective. When you support the people around you, you help everyone perform better. You move from just doing your own tasks to strengthening the whole team.
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.
