Authority is granted; Influence is earned.
1Building Social Capital
Influence is built on trust. Trust is built by being reliable, being honest about what you don't know, and consistently delivering value to the team.
2Active Listening
To influence people, you must first understand them. What are the engineers worried about? What is the designer's vision? By listening more than you talk, you find the common ground.
3Taking the Blame, Sharing the Credit
When a product fails, the PM takes the blame. When it succeeds, the PM gives the credit to the team. This extreme accountability is what makes people want to follow you.
