CHAPTER 5
INFL U EN C IN G YOUR BO S S
S
ubordinates and peers are important people in your work
life. But your boss is special because he or she is both an
evaluator of your performance and the main source of the
resources and rewards you seek. Your boss may also be the key to
your career advancement.
Being able to influence your boss is critically important to your
success as an employee. The extent to which you can influence that
person will go a long way to determining:
? The level of resources you’ll have available
? The opportunities you’ll have for career growth
? The degree of autonomy you’ll be given
? Your financial rewards
? Mutual success
If your boss trusts and has confidence in you, he or she will wel-
come your participation in planning and decision making, which
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74 Increase Your Influence at Work
will give you a major level of control over your life at work. Having
no influence, in contrast, will reduce you to being an order
taker—a person who simply does what he or she is told.
INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
History provides examples of subordinates who exerted substantial
influence over their bosses. Few fit the bill better than France’s
Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu (1585–1642). Richelieu, a pro-
vincial cleric when he entered public life, proved himself a reliable
and effective second to a series of superiors, and he eventually be-
came a cardinal of the church and the power behind the throne of
France. His first political job came in 1614 when he was chosen as
assistant to Concino Concini, the kingdom’s most powerful minis-
ter. Concini was so pleased with his subordinate’s performance
that he elevated him to the position of Secretary of State, with re-
sponsibility for foreign affairs. Richelieu did well in this post. He
also managed to survive the assassinations and intrigues of the
court, and through talent and his own machinations he rose to the
post of First Chief Minister to King Louis XIII. As First Chief Minis-
ter, there was hardly a matter of state that Richelieu did not touch:
finances, war, diplomacy, appointments, and public works. His spy
network within France and in the capitals of Europe made him a
key source of information. That, his reliability, and his political and
diplomatic acumen made him indispensable to the king, who
looked to him for advice and the execution of policy.
Not surprisingly, many within the court were jealous of Riche-
lieu’s influence over the king and national policy, to the point that
Louis’s mother demanded that he dismiss Richelieu. After weighing
the relative values of his mother and of his First Chief Minister,
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Influencing Yo ur Boss 75
Louis opted to keep Richelieu and send his mother into exile. He
could manage without her, but not without Richelieu.
Similar examples of upward influence can be found in the
world of business. Bill Gates of Microsoft relied heavily on Paul
Allen until the latter’s illness, then recruited another influential sec-
ond in command in Steve Ballmer. Many credit Warren Buffett as
the most acute mind in finance, yet Buffett would be the first to
credit his longtime associate Charlie Munger for much of his and
Berkshire Hathaway’s success over the years.
Influence with one’s boss is based on a relationship in which
the boss:
? Trusts you
? Likes you
? Perceives you as similar in some ways to him or her
? Believes you have good and accurate information to share
? Depends on you to complement his or her strengths
? Is persuaded by your reasoning
? Considers you reliable and competent
? Recognizes an obligation to you for valued favors
? Believes you are working hard on the things that matter most
to him or her
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ONE STUDY’S FINDINGS
A study conducted by scholars at the University of Illinois con-
cluded that upward influence was related to a boss’s percep-
tions of a subordinate’s interpersonal skills, a liking for the
subordinate, and perceptions of similarity between the boss
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76 Increase Your Influence at Work
and the subordinate. The subordinate’s use of reasoning, as-
sertiveness, and favor rendering (the ‘‘reciprocity’’ concept
discussed earlier) was positively related to the boss’s percep-
tions, whereas bargaining and self-promotion by the subordi-
nate affected those perceptions negatively.
1
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You too can enjoy influence with your boss if you follow the
advice in the following sections.
MAKE SURE YOUR BOSS KNOWS HE OR SHE
CAN TRUST YOU
Trust is important in any relationship, especially if you want to ex-
ercise influence. But trust is absolutely critical in your relationship
with your boss. Your boss looks to you to accomplish your depart-
mental objectives, thereby making him or her look good. More than
that, your boss needs to know that you will always tell the whole
truth, the good news and the bad. There must be no unpleasant
surprises, especially public ones! Your boss will not trust you if you
violate the chain of command and go around him or her to confer
with his or her superior without first clearing it. If you seem to be
vying for your boss’s job, don’t expect to be rewarded with trust!
FOCUS ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOUR BOSS
The starting point of an influential relationship with your boss is a
clear understanding of your boss’s goals and priorities, workplace
concerns, and the pressures he or she is feeling. These are proxies
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Influencing Yo ur Boss 77
for the needs and interests we encouraged you to understand with
respect to your subordinates. They are the matters that absorb your
boss’s attention and, in some cases, create anxiety. You should be
able to accurately answer these questions:
? What are your boss’s goals and priorities?
? What knotty problem is he or she strugging with?
? What pressure, if any, is higher management putting on your
boss?
? What accomplishment would make your boss a hero in the eyes
of senior management?
? What kind of relationship does your boss have with his or her
immediate superior? Is it tense? Collegial? Subservient?
If you can answer these questions, you’ll be able to recognize
things you can do—alone and through your own subordinates—to
help your boss.
It’s possible to identify your boss’s main concerns through in-
formal one-on-one meetings, staff meetings, lunches, and so forth.
Like everyone else, bosses generally want to talk about the things
that keep them awake at night if the people listening can be
trusted. All they need to open up is an opportunity. So find occa-
sions to talk with your boss about his or her concerns and priorities
and how you can align your work with them. By doing this you will
establish yourself in your boss’s mind as a reliable and indispens-
able ally—like Cardinal Richelieu was to his king. That will enhance
both your working relationship and your ability to influence this
key person in your work life.
In this same vein, try to discover ‘‘no-go’’ areas. These are sensi-
tive issues that your boss does not want to discuss or negotiate
with you. Think of them as land mines to be avoided. Consider this
example:
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