Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast · Russel Lolacher

How Influence Really Works at Work

·50 min·4 clips

Brad Englert reveals how field promotions at Accenture cured his imposter syndrome by letting him test roles early.

This episode of Relationships at Work features host Russell Lolliker and guest Brad Englert, a former Accenture partner and CIO at the University of Texas at Austin. Englert authored the book *Spheres of Influence* and shares his practical framework for building authentic workplace influence. Englert defines influence as working with others to achieve mutual goals, transcending transactional networking. He recounts advice from a veteran professor to "get out of the office and tell people you give a damn" as foundational. His method involves understanding others' goals, setting clear expectations, and genuinely caring about their success. At the university, he transformed an IT culture from rewarding "heroics and fire drills" to proactive customer service, which required replacing three of seven direct reports. He initiated a practice of meeting with 8-10 campus stakeholders every four to six weeks, creating a "nervous system" for his department. A pivotal story involves a staff member who, after monthly meetings with a critic, turned that person into an advocate. Englert emphasizes that people who passionately "hate" a situation care deeply and are easier to convert than those who are indifferent. He managed a two-year transition of a learning management system affecting 54,000 students by partnering closely with the academic vice provost. Englert argues that authentic influence requires empathy, humility, and being a "humble practitioner" who leaves the ivory tower. He modeled this by holding one-on-one meetings in his reports' offices and publishing a weekly blog for eight years to foster transparency. A key insight is that influence is a long game, illustrated by a customer who called him 15 years later for a favor, which he gladly provided. He also promoted a "family first" value, exemplified by rehiring an engineer who left for a startup but missed his family. The conversation explores how to navigate existing relationship roadblocks, like a peer who tried to undermine Englert through their shared boss. He advises using "power mapping" to identify key influencers and relationships strategically. Ethics in influence, guided by the question "What would Barbara Jordan do?", means leaving a situation rather than complying with unethical requests. The tone is conversational and educational, blending personal anecdotes with actionable leadership advice. Listeners interested in practical strategies for cultural change and relationship-based leadership will find this episode valuable. Those seeking highly theoretical discussions or quick management fixes might find it less applicable.

As heard by us

Influence here is built by listening, naming the work, and earning trust in the room.

The episode treats influence at work as a practical habit rather than a fixed personality trait: get out of the office, ask what people are trying to achieve, share personal goals, and look for places where help can move both sides forward.

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Why you'd press play

If influence feels vague, this gives it a working shape.

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