How influential are you at work, really? Especially if you don’t have “manager” or “vice president” on your business card?

What if I told you influence doesn’t require a title at all? That you could exercise influence early in your career? Would you believe me?

Before you answer, sit with these three questions:

  • Who outside my department knows what I do well?
  • When was the last time I solved a problem that wasn’t technically mine?
  • Do my teammates seek out my opinion — or just my help?

That last one deserves a pause. There’s a meaningful difference between being the person who gets things done and being the person others consult before deciding what to do. Both matter. Only one is influence.

So, let’s get real about what influence actually means. It’s earned when people trust your judgment, rely on your expertise, and value your perspective. You don’t have to be a COO or an SVP — or decades into your career — to build that kind of reputation.

Sometimes influence shows up internally. A co-worker knows you’ll give real strategic thought to a problem, so they bring it to you first. Someone on another team wants a gut-check before pivoting on a project, and you’re the person they email. Nobody assigned you that role. You earned it, one reliable conversation at a time.

Other times influence is external — and in the printing industry, where success is so often built on trust and relationships, that can be worth a great deal. Customer-facing roles have a direct line to the growth and revenue of a printing company. If customers consistently ask to work with you because you listen, communicate clearly, and help them succeed, that relationship becomes an asset your employer can’t easily replace. That’s influence.

Now that you’ve considered your potential influence, the next question to ask is: how can you grow it? Start where you already are and then:

  1. Say yes to a problem that isn’t yours. Cross-functional help is how people outside your department learn what you’re good at. As printing companies become leaner, this is practically a requirement for staying relevant at work.
  2. Share your reasoning, not just your answer. As a former schoolteacher, I know this trick. (If you’re a parent, I bet you do, too.) People understand and buy into an assignment better when they understand the broader context — and your influence compounds when people understand, and admire, how you think.
  3. Be findable. Speak up in the meeting, volunteer for the committee, answer the question in the group thread. Quiet excellence is still excellence — but it can’t be sought out if no one knows where it lives. And if you’re working remotely from your teammates, it’s worth the extra effort to be visible, even virtually.
  4. Follow through. Influence relies on trust — and trust is built on a track record. Period.

Whether you’re leading a team, working independently on technical projects, or interfacing with customers every day, the opportunity to build and flex your influence is likely already right in front of you.

The title on your business card describes your role. It doesn’t define your reach.