Let’s talk about influence.

Not networking.
Not likability.
Not performing “team player” energy.

Influence.

Because in real workplaces, the people who grow are not always the loudest or the most talented. They’re the ones who understand how decisions get made and position themselves accordingly.

Building influence with your boss is one of the most powerful skills you can develop. But for Black professionals, it rarely feels straightforward.

Too direct and you’re labeled aggressive.
Too confident and you’re “intimidating.”
Too measured and you disappear into the background.

So when someone casually says, “You need to manage up,” it often sounds like coded advice for: make them comfortable.

That’s not what we’re doing here.

We’re talking about power literacy — understanding how influence works so you can move strategically without contorting yourself.

Influence Is About Leverage, Not Approval

At its core, building influence with your boss means understanding what matters to them — and positioning your ideas inside that reality.

Not because their perspective is superior.
But because their incentives shape decisions.

If your boss is being evaluated on revenue, your ideas should connect to revenue.
If they’re under pressure for efficiency, your suggestions should reduce friction.

The shift is subtle but powerful.

Instead of walking into a meeting hoping your idea is “liked,” you walk in knowing it advances something they are accountable for.

That’s leverage.

Influence grows when your contribution makes their success easier.

Stop Measuring Yourself by Their Comfort

This is where it gets complicated for us.

Black professionals are often hyper-aware of how we’re being perceived. We’ve seen what happens when passion is reframed as hostility. When decisiveness becomes arrogance. When clarity becomes “tone.”

So we calibrate. Sometimes excessively.

But here’s the truth: someone else’s discomfort is not always evidence of your misstep.

There are leaders who are unsettled by confidence that doesn’t perform deference. There are managers who struggle when challenged by someone they subconsciously underestimate.

You cannot build influence if you are constantly adjusting yourself to manage their insecurities.

Influence requires steadiness.

You don’t need to be louder.
You don’t need to be softer.
You need to be clear.

Calm, outcome-focused communication protects your credibility far more than over-explaining ever will.

Your Work Does Not Speak for Itself

Many of us were taught to believe that excellence will be recognized.

In theory, yes.
In practice, visibility is strategic.

If you led the project, say that.
If you identified the problem, state that.
If your analysis changed the direction, articulate that.

Not with arrogance — with precision.

“I led the cross-functional review that uncovered this gap.”

That sentence is not ego. It’s narrative control.

Influence expands when decision-makers associate your name with measurable impact.

Learn the Rhythm of Power

Every workplace has a rhythm.

Some leaders want polished summaries. Others want quick bullet updates. Some appreciate direct challenge. Others respond better when you lead with shared goals before presenting disagreement.

Study the rhythm.

Not to become someone else — but to increase the likelihood that your message lands intact.

When you present a recommendation tied directly to business outcomes, you reduce the space for bias to distort it. Data narrows interpretation. Clarity minimizes mischaracterization.

This isn’t about performing corporate theater.
It’s about making sure your brilliance isn’t filtered through someone else’s insecurity.

Boundaries Are a Form of Influence

One of the biggest myths about building influence is that it requires constant availability.

It doesn’t.

Influence increases when your judgment is trusted. And part of judgment is understanding capacity.

When a new priority appears, a strategic response sounds like:

“I can take this on. Which current deliverable should shift?”

That communicates leadership thinking. It signals that you understand trade-offs. It forces clarity.

Overextending yourself may feel helpful in the moment, but it rarely builds long-term authority.

Exhaustion is not influence.

Protect Your Professional Record

Power literacy also means protecting your story.

Keep track of outcomes. Save feedback. Document scope changes. Make sure what you agreed to deliver and what you actually delivered are clearly captured.

Not because you expect conflict.
But because perception can shift quietly in environments where bias exists.

When review season arrives, you shouldn’t be relying on memory — yours or theirs.

Preparation is not paranoia. It’s positioning.

And Sometimes, It’s Not You

Here’s the part we don’t say out loud enough.

If your ideas are routinely dismissed but later applauded when repeated by someone else…
If feedback consistently focuses on your tone instead of your results…
If expectations shift without transparency…

You may not have an influence problem.

You may have a culture problem.

Building influence is powerful. But it is not a cure-all for structural bias.

Discernment is leadership too.

The Real Shift

The most effective Black professionals don’t chase approval.

They understand power.

They align their ideas with business outcomes.
They speak with clarity.
They claim their impact.
They set boundaries like decision-makers.

They do not shrink.
They do not overperform deference.
They do not confuse discomfort with wrongdoing.

Building influence with your boss isn’t about becoming someone else.

It’s about becoming more strategic in how you move.

Your presence is not the liability.

Your strategy is the leverage.

Key Takeaways

• Influence is built through alignment with incentives, not likability.
  
• Confidence does not require dilution to be effective.
  
• Visibility is strategic.  Name your contributions.
  
• Boundaries communicate leadership, not resistance.
  
• Sometimes the challenge is structural, not personal.