Episode Description

Somewhere inside your organization, conversations are happening right now that will shape careers, promotions, opportunities, and leadership trajectories.

And you are not in the room.

In this episode of Leader on the Rise, Mim Abbey explores one of the most advanced — and least understood — leadership skills in organizations: how to influence decisions when you are not physically present.

This conversation breaks down the hidden architecture of organizational influence, including informal networks, trusted relationships, advocates, connectors, and the invisible conversations shaping leadership decisions behind the scenes.

You'll learn why influence is not about manipulation or politics, but about building trust widely, investing in relationships intentionally, and creating a reputation that travels through the organization even when you are absent.

Drawing from organizational network theory, leadership psychology, and real-world executive coaching, this episode explains how rising leaders build influence long before they need it.

If you want your leadership to scale beyond the rooms you enter personally, this episode will help you understand how influence truly moves through organizations.

What You'll Learn

• Why organizations operate through informal influence networks
• The hidden structure behind leadership decisions
• How trusted relationships shape advancement
• The importance of connectors and advocates
• Why influence depends on trust, not visibility alone
• How to map organizational influence
• The role of pre-wiring important conversations
• Why strong advocates accelerate careers
• How rising leaders build influence strategically
• The relationship habits that create long-term career leverage

Featured Research & Insights

• Stanley Milgram's "small world" and six degrees research
• Organizational network analysis research from IBM's Institute for Business Value
• Adam Grant's research on "otherish" givers and organizational influence
• Harvard Business School research from Michael Roberto on pre-wiring and decision quality
• Herminia Ibarra and Mark Hunter's research on diverse advocate networks
• Organizational psychology research on trust, reputation, and informal influence

Why It Matters

Careers are shaped not only by performance — but by trust traveling through networks.

Inside organizations, influence spreads through:

• relationships
• advocates
• connectors
• trusted voices
• informal conversations

The professionals who rise consistently understand that leadership is not confined to formal authority.

It is built through credibility, generosity, relationship depth, and the ability to create trust across multiple parts of the organization.

Influence is not a personality trait.

It is a leadership practice.

And it compounds over time.