How to be more influential at work

Ever wonder why we use so many military terms at work? 

We define missions and strategies and plan tactics to capture market share. People in frontline roles report up the chain of command. We use guerilla marketing to avoid price wars, and when things go well, we make a killing. 

There’s good reason. 

As the OG large organisation, the military has had outsized influence on the design of modern workplaces. This was magnified after WWII when returning soldiers were redeployed into management positions in civilian organisations – bringing a hierarchical command and control leadership style with them.

It’s time to move on

At Powrsuit, we dig into the history of work because it’s critical in understanding (and evolving) how we operate. We know networking was a response to the Industrial Revolution, diversity of thought is an argument to justify homogenous teams, and we neglect to showcase our work because it wasn’t critical to our school grades. 

Nothing is set in concrete, of course – the rise of empathetic leadership correlates to the transition from manufacturing to the knowledge economy. But what about the other side of the workforce equation? Almost ninety years after WWII, do we need to reevaluate the role of subordinates?

You’re not a subordinate; you’re a valuable asset

A major hurdle faced by first-time people leaders is the change in how they’re perceived. From one day to the next, they go from being in the team to sitting above it.

Speaking from experience, it really sucks.

Suddenly, whenever you talk, the people around you jump to action. There are no more challenging ideas, debating concepts or group problem-solving. Your opinion is interpreted as an order.

This dynamic is a relic from a military past and no longer serves us. While managers have the authority to make decisions, they need diverse knowledge, insights, and data to get them right.

And where does a lot of that sit? With the people doing the doing.

As you progress up an organisation hierarchy, you get more disconnected from the detail because you spend less time speaking to customers, analysing campaigns and delivering outputs. Charged with delivering results, insights from your team are not just useful, they’re critical.

Your opinion matters

The concept of ‘managing up’ is often interpreted as delivering on the expectations of people more senior than you. Often, what those key stakeholders really want are your expert insights.

We’re not talking about entering a battle of opinions; we’re talking about well-formed, evidence-based perspectives that can shape better outcomes. 

If you work in a call centre, you have a detailed understanding of customer complaints and product requests. In a project team? You have intimate insight into the impacts of direction changes, communication issues, and workflow between teams. An engineer? You see the impacts of delaying critical maintenance.

You might assume everyone else knows what you know. Often, they don’t.

No one has all the answers

Here’s a secret: no one has all the answers.

Great leaders surround themselves with smart people who help them make better decisions. So, when a senior stakeholder makes a suggestion you disagree with or that you can improve, your input might be the most valuable thing you can offer. 

Keep it professional, well-reasoned and backed by evidence – and remember, it’s not about who’s idea wins; it’s about contributing to a better overall outcome. If your input isn’t actioned, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t considered. Competing priorities and practical considerations (time, finances, capacity) can lead to the right decision not always being the best one. It’s not personal and doesn’t mean your perspective wasn’t valued.

From orders to insights

The modern military operates very differently from how it did back in the 1940s, and modern organisations should, too. We’re no longer responsible for moving widgets along a production line; we’re tasked with producing solutions that take the world forward. In a knowledge economy, decisions are only ever as good as the opinions that go into them.

So, next time you get the opportunity, share yours.