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 will not 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 is not a technique you apply; it is a relationship you earn. Drawing on a decade of practice in human-centered leadership and the work of Judy Umlas, author of the ground-breaking book, The Power of Acknowledgement, James will discuss five disciplines: Consciousness, Choice, Courage, Communication, and Commitment. We will tie these 5 C’s directly to the stakeholder, sponsor, and cross-functional dynamics project managers leaders navigate every day.

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

Key Takeaways

Authority is not influence: High accountability with little formal power means pressure and escalation backfire real influence comes from relationships, not titles.
The five C’s of Acknowledgment 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 is not 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 IIL’s Center for Grateful Leadership, James 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 background in PMI frameworks and practice.

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