Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Carpenter Technology
Search every verified Rachelle Thompson interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Rachelle Thompson, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Carpenter Technology, discussed the importance of "influencing without authority" during a Career Month appearance. She described the skill as critical for modern workplaces where employees often work across teams, countries, and levels without formal reporting lines. Thompson stated that influencing involves building relationships, listening, understanding others' needs, and sharing ideas in a way that "inspires, not forces." Thompson noted that while she has authority as a leader, she considers not using that tool to be "a far more powerful way of getting things done." She said that focusing on relationships, collaboration, trust, and shared goals leads to better and more innovative results. She encouraged practicing the skill daily by supporting colleagues, giving constructive ideas, and earning trust through actions, adding that influence opens doors based on the value one brings rather than their title.
“When I think about the skills for the future, one I think that's going to make a big difference is influencing without authority. Today's workplace, we often work across teams, across countries, across levels. Sometimes we don't have formal reporting lines.”
“Being able to influence, particularly when you don't have title or power that comes with title, is a really critical skill. It's about building strong relationships. It's about listening and understanding others needs. And it's about sharing your ideas in a way that inspires, not forces.”
“As a leader, I clearly have authority as one of the tools in my box. But not using that tool is a far more powerful way of getting things done than using it.”
“By focusing on relationships, collaboration, trust, and shared goals, the results are going to be far better and far more innovative.”
One Skill that you bet for our future is...
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