What We Learned About Stakeholder Influence from Federico Giusti
This week, Federico Giusti reminded us of a hard truth: 70% of change efforts fail because people resist.
And when you look closer, the reasons are telling:
- 41% resist because they don’t trust their leaders.
- 39% resist because they don’t understand the benefits.
In other words, projects don’t die in spreadsheets, they die in conversations.
That’s why Fede shared a six-step influence playbook every fractional leader should keep close.
Step 1: Identify Who Really Matters
Insight: Stakeholders aren’t job titles — they’re people who can move or block your initiative.
When you step into a new org, it’s tempting to assume the CEO, CFO, and Head of HR are your main players. But often, influence comes from less obvious corners: the operations lead everyone listens to, the regional manager with deep loyalties, or even the “informal” leader who organizes after-work drinks.
Tool: Stakeholder Map (Power vs. Interest)
How to use it: Write down every name you encounter. Place them on the grid: power (vertical axis) vs. interest (horizontal).
- High-power/high-interest = manage closely.
- Low-power/high-interest = watch carefully — sometimes they rally silent resistance.
Why it matters: If you ignore a “low-title, high-influence” person, they can derail your project faster than a formal executive. Think of the call-center supervisor who convinces 200 agents not to use the new AI system — one overlooked box on your map can sink months of work.
Step 2: Understand the Emotional Side of Change
Insight: Change feels like loss. Even positive change creates resistance because people mourn the familiar.
Imagine moving to a bigger, nicer house but missing the smell of the old kitchen. Organizations feel the same: the new system might be cheaper, faster, better — but people still grieve what’s gone.
Tool: Emotional Change Curve
How to use it: Think of it as a rollercoaster: denial → resistance → exploration → commitment. Use different levers at each stage: urgency at the start, space for conflict in the middle, endless communication throughout, and quick wins to prove it’s worth it.
Why it matters: Resistance isn’t logical. It’s about trust (41%) and clarity of benefits (39%). Unless people feel safe and see “what’s in it for me,” they won’t cross the curve.
Step 3: Plan Your Influence
Insight: Influence without planning = firefighting.
Most executives walk into meetings believing their arguments will win the day. But the real work happens before the meeting, in corridor chats, WhatsApp messages, and hallway nods.
Tool: Influence Playbook → Identify → Plan → Execute
How to use it: Before any major decision point, list who needs a one-on-one, who you should keep informed, who you need to neutralize, and who you must win as an ally. Then execute in sequence.
Why it matters: Think House of Cards. The drama isn’t the speech in Congress; it’s the quiet deal with one senator in a dimly lit office. Influence is earned before the spotlight turns on.
Step 4: Map Informal Power
Insight: The org chart is a polite fiction. Real influence flows through informal networks.
In every company, there’s a shadow network: the lunch table where decisions are pre-agreed, the Slack group where people vent, the receptionist who knows everyone’s mood.
Tool: Social Network Map
How to use it: Sketch out connections. Who talks to whom? Who trusts whom? Who has hidden pull? Then test it: ask, observe, listen. You’ll find “organic influencers” in unexpected places — the project assistant, the IT guy who fixes everyone’s laptops, the concierge.
Why it matters: Convince one informal leader, and you can move an entire system. Ignore them, and you’ll wonder why every door feels mysteriously locked.
Step 5: Execute & Adapt
Insight: Logic won’t win hearts. Trust, stories, and visible progress do.
You can’t argue someone into believing. But you can ask what they fear, build a story where they see themselves winning, and celebrate small steps that prove momentum.
Tool: ABC of Influence → Ask about risks, Build a shared story, Celebrate quick wins.
How to use it: With detractors, start with questions: “What’s your biggest risk here?” With neutrals, invite them to co-author the future: “How would you make this work?” With allies, make progress visible: “We did it — thanks to you.”
Why it matters: This creates a feedback loop where resistance turns into participation. Influence is not a one-time push; it’s a rhythm.
Step 6: Manage Resistance Long-Term
Insight: Stakeholder management is risk management for humans. Alliances shift, loyalties change.
What works today might not hold tomorrow. A champion can be reassigned, a detractor can be promoted, a neutral can be pulled in by new leadership.
Tool: Stakeholder Management Plan
Why it matters: The map is never static. Influence is fluid. The leaders who succeed are those who keep reading the board, not those who stop after round one.
Practical Takeaways
- Don’t assume acceptance — expect resistance.
- Pick battles wisely — not every hill is worth dying on.
- Build informal bonds — trust grows in small moments, not boardrooms.
- Show genuine interest — people know when they’re just a “stakeholder.”
“Strategy lives on paper. People move systems. If you move people, you move mountains”
