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Behavioralstandard
Tell me about a time you influenced a decision without having authority over the people involved.
How to approach it
Pick a cross-team story where you had no direct reports but moved a decision through relationships, evidence and timing.
How a strong answer opens
“I needed three teams that didn't report to me to agree on one sign-up flow. I built support one person at a time before the meeting where the decision was made.”
Outline of a strong answer
Try answering out loud for a few minutes before you open this.
- The decision, the teams involved, and why you had no formal power
- Each stakeholder and what they wanted from the outcome
- How you built support one person at a time before the big meeting
- The evidence that tipped the decision
- The decision and its result for users or the business
- What you learned about timing and preparation
Where this question usually goes wrong
Claiming influence when you really escalated to someone with authority, or skipping how you built support with each stakeholder.
Learn the method
Influence without authority in Module 4, Behavioral and leadership.
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More behavioral questions
- Describe a time you had to get buy-in from a senior leader who was skeptical.
- Tell me about a time you failed to influence someone. What would you do differently?
- Describe a time you used data to change someone's mind.
- Tell me about a time you missed a deadline.
- Tell me about a time you had to deliver bad news to a customer or partner.