Your Influence Matters More Than Your Title

This talk explores a simple but powerful idea: your influence matters more than your title. Drawing from experiences in social work, it challenges the common assumption that influence automatically comes with seniority. While leadership positions create opportunities to shape services, true influence depends on how those opportunities are used. Sometimes and not always, individuals with formal authority may demonstrate poor emotional intelligence, limited curiosity, and a lack of strategic thinking, reducing their ability to inspire meaningful change. Meanwhile, practitioners in frontline and support roles may frequently exert significant influence through relationships, creativity, compassion, and everyday actions. Their impact is often felt directly by children, families, colleagues, and communities. The talk explores how trust, emotional intelligence, curiosity, and authentic leadership create lasting influence regardless of job title. It argues that social work outcomes are shaped not only by those who hold power, but by those who create environments where people feel valued, heard, and supported. Ultimately, the message is that titles may provide authority, but influence is earned through behaviour, relationships, and the ability to positively affect the lives of others. Listen to the full talk.