Being right isn’t your edge.

It’s often your obstacle.

I spent years defending my ideas in meetings.
Data validated.
Research confirmed.
Logic airtight.

Yet resistance kept appearing where I expected agreement.

Here's what changed my entire approach to strategic influence:

Your 'right' and their 'right' often live at different altitudes.
– The CFO sees risk where you see opportunity.
– The sales leader sees disruption where you see innovation.
– Your boss sees timing issues where you see urgency.

None of you are wrong.
You're solving for different equations.

Here’s the 5-step shift I now use to lead difficult conversations with influence:

➊ Map their success metrics first
→ Understand what keeps them up at night. Their KPIs shape their view.

➋ Find the shared win
→ Stop selling your vision. Build one where everyone wins something.

➌ Acknowledge their truth
→ “I can see why that matters from your position” opens more doors than “Let me show you why this works.”

➍ Translate your value into their language
→ Your innovation = their efficiency gain. Your change = their cost reduction.

➎ Create space for their expertise
→ Ask: “What am I not seeing from your vantage point?” Then actually listen.

The leaders who rise aren’t always the ones who are right.
They’re the ones who can hold multiple truths — and move forward anyway.

When you make this shift, here’s what changes:
– Senior leaders start asking for your input
– You’re seen as someone who builds consensus
– Proposals move forward faster
– Stakeholders champion your ideas
– That seat at the table? Feels a lot closer

Your ideas don’t change.
How they land does.

And that’s why your EQ becomes your edge in rooms full of smart people.

Next meeting: Lead with curiosity about their angle before defending yours.