Video: Influence Without Authority: Making an Impact in Your Organization Regardless of Job Title

Kelly Vaughn is the Director of Engineering at Spot AI, with a long career in engineering and leadership. She is also a trained therapist and a recovering entrepreneur, having run two start-ups before joining Spot AI.

Remote workers can build influence by intentionally building relationships with colleagues, understanding their work, and connecting with people outside their department to foster trust and collaboration.

Kelly Vaughn highlights four key skills for building influence: 1) Understanding the bigger picture, 2) Encouraging and amplifying others, 3) Recognizing personal strengths and weaknesses, and 4) Practicing emotional intelligence.

Junior developers should focus on what they can control, recognize when to ask for help, and possibly escalate issues to HR or management if necessary. It's important to manage one's reactions and seek productive resolutions.

Emotional intelligence involves understanding and managing one's emotions and reactions, as well as recognizing and responding appropriately to others' emotions. It is crucial in handling conflicts and improving professional relationships.

Leadership can be practiced without being on a manager track by embodying principles such as understanding the bigger picture, encouraging and amplifying others, recognizing personal strengths and weaknesses, and practicing emotional intelligence.

Kelly Vaughn believes there are no dumb questions and encourages asking questions to understand the impact of your work. However, if questions impede work progress, it may indicate a need for better context or clarity from leadership.

Building team spirit across time zones is challenging. Kelly Vaughn suggests occasionally splitting celebrations by time zones and, if possible, arranging for face-to-face meetings at least once a year to strengthen connections.

You can be friendly with those you lead, but maintaining a professional boundary is important to ensure that friendships do not interfere with management responsibilities and the ability to give constructive feedback.

Kelly Vaughn advises setting the stage for feedback by creating a safe environment, being specific and timely, and focusing on the action rather than the person. She emphasizes the importance of asking for feedback and acting on it.