Earned, Not Given: Building Influence in a World You Don't Control

James Trela

Sr. Director Project Management, Americas

IPOINT, Inc.

About the Presentation

Project managers are among the most accountable people in any organization and among the least empowered with formal authority. Stakeholders won’t engage. Sponsors have other priorities. Cross-functional teams owe you nothing on paper. When things stall, the instinct is to push harder or escalate.

That instinct almost always makes things worse. This session offers a different path. Influence isn’t a technique you apply it’s a relationship you earn. Drawing on a decade of practice in human-centered leadership, I will introduce five disciplines Consciousness, Choice, Courage, Communication, and Commitment applied directly to the stakeholder, sponsor, and cross-functional dynamics PM leaders navigate every day.

You will leave with a concrete mindset shift and one specific action to take with you tomorrow.

Key Takeaways

Authority isn’t influence: High accountability with little formal power means pressure and escalation backfire real influence comes from relationships, not titles.
The five C’s are your framework: Consciousness, Choice, Courage, Communication, and Commitment are practical disciplines for navigating stakeholders and teams who don’t report to you.
Small actions drive change: Sustainable influence isn’t built through grand gestures it starts with one mindset shift and one concrete step tomorrow.

About James Trela

James G. Trela, PMP, MBA, MS-IST, GLCP-L1 is a project management leader and Grateful Leadership Certified Professional with over two decades of experience leading teams, stakeholders, and sponsors without positional authority. A 2018 Acknowledgment Ambassador Award recipient from the Center for Grateful Leadership, he brings a unique perspective to the intersection of project management and human-centered leadership. He has trained and coached project managers on influence, trust, and stakeholder engagement, and holds a deep background in PMI frameworks and practice.

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