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Influencing without Authority - Lumumba Seegars, August 2023

In this Fireside Chat, we'll be bringing in Lumumba Seegars to talk about Influencing without Authority. Lumumba Seegars is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration in the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School.

Here were the key takeaways:

  1. Use your company's shared language (eg. core values, mission statements, etc.) as a reference point when building your story. This is a quick and easy way to find common ground with leadership.
  2. An oldie but a goodie - remember to appeal to Aristotle's three modes of persuasion when building your story: ethos, pathos, and logos.
  3. Intersectionality to the rescue: If you can figure out different ways to channel the "collective voice" of the different groups affected by an issue, you have a far greater chance of getting buy-in. If a leader believes that action will positively impact many rather than a select few, it'll be more attractive to prioritize.

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