When you are working with a group of people who trust you and respect you for your technical competence, it is easy to influence and get their buy-in.
When you are put in a circle of people who don’t know you well, you can’t assume people will recognize your competency just because of your background or title. You need to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise through discussions and by asking the right questions. That’s when people start respecting you. Once you earn their respect, you need to invest in building a relationship with them.
Earning respect for your expertise and building relationships are the two fundamental building blocks of influencing without authority.
