Why 150 HR leaders chose influence over strategy (and what it means for you)

Which HR Leadership Dilemma resonates most with you?

That was the question that I posed to 150 HR leaders at the Transform Talent conference in Hong Kong.

I’ve previously written about the HR Leadership Dilemma. If you aren’t familiar with it, "The HR Leadership Dilemma" is based on four common patterns that I’ve identified through my research and experience, that keeps HR practitioners stuck in their thinking and stuck in their roles. The four patterns are:

1. The tactical-strategic divide 2. The service-leadership tension 3. The capability-confidence gap 4. The influence-authority balance

Based on the 1:1 coaching conversations that I’ve had with HR leaders over the past 12 months, I was pretty confident about which HR Leadership Dilemma would resonate with the audience in Hong Kong.

However, I was dead wrong!

I thought the audience would choose “the tactical strategic divide.” This is because I often speak to HR leaders who want to join companies where HR is seen as a true strategic partner, instead of just an execution and order taker. This view of HR is still very prevalent in Asia Pacific, where cultural norms and outdated thinking have limited the progress of HR teams.

But they surprised me and they overwhelmingly chose “the influence authority balance.”

I guess the example of having to create and implement HR initiatives with no budget (again and again) really struck a chord!

Since we did a live action poll, I don’t have the exact stats, but I’d estimate from the photo (below) that about 40% of the audience felt that “the influence authority balance” most accurately described their experience working in HR.

As part of the live action poll, I asked the audience to complete an action that aligned to the HR Leadership Dilemma that resonated the most with them. The four actions were:

·       Tactical Strategic Divide – Raise your right hand

·       Service Leadership Tension – Raise your left hand

·       Capability Confidence Gap – Turn to face the back of the room

·       Influence Authority Balance – Sit down in your chair

As you can see from the photo, there are a lot of leaders sitting down in their chairs. (And it wasn’t because they were just tired – I checked!).

If “the influence authority balance” sounds like you, you’ve got great relationship-building skills and informal influence across departments (think legal, finance, compliance, etc). But, you don’t have any FORMAL authority to implement HR initiatives. You might find yourself saying things like “How can I get my HR budget approved when I have no authority to make decisions.”

The Influence-Authority Balance

Your HR initiatives are often seen as "suggestions" rather than directives. And you constantly have to justify the business value of HR investments (year after year after year…).

Breaking the influence-authority balance pattern

So what can you do to break out of this pattern?

Interestingly, I’ve seen HR leaders with significant impact develop strategic influence that functions like authority. But how do you do it?

Start by mapping your organization's decision-makers and power dynamics. Understand what motivates each stakeholder and how your initiatives connect to their priorities. The impact/influence matrix is a useful tool for this.

Build what I call "strategic capital" by consistently delivering value before requesting resources. For example, always have data on hand to demonstrate the business impact of HR initiatives. This can help you to build a track record.

Frame HR initiatives in business terms rather than HR language. Instead of discussing "employee engagement," talk about "productivity drivers." When proposing new programs, present multiple options with clear business cases rather than a single recommendation that can be rejected outright.

Finally, be strategic about when to use influence versus when to request formal authority. Some situations require patient consensus-building, while others call for making a decision right away.

The influence-authority balance isn't a weakness. Every time that you navigate complex organizational dynamics without formal power, you're developing skills that many executives never master: the ability to create change through coalition-building, data-driven persuasion, and strategic patience.

The most successful HR leaders I've worked with don't wait for authority to be granted; they systematically build it through every interaction, every initiative, and every win they deliver.

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I work with female senior leaders in Human Resources who feel stuck to help them love their work or find work they love. I write about:

👂 Executive & career coaching

📄 Career development and career transition

🎯 Job search strategy

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