Effective leadership requires more than just authority; it demands strategic influence. When employees understand the “why” behind their work, engagement soars and resistance to change diminishes. Drawing from his experience as former head of Automation for a global top 100 company, Aurélien Mangano has mastered the art of influencing without formal power. Now an executive leadership coach, he shares practical insights on building trust, tailoring communication, and creating purpose-driven strategies that inspire genuine buy-in across organizations.
The Hidden Cost of Leading with No Purpose
“In today’s market, many strategies default to tactical price reductions and incremental benefit improvements rather than developing distinctive value propositions that would inspire their customers and employees,” Aurélien says. This insight hit home when he was heading automation for a global company. His developers couldn’t answer a simple question: why are we building this feature? “They were just telling, it was what I requested them to do,” he recalls. The problem? Companies rarely share return-on-investment thinking with everyone. “Only people from managers to directors start to see what the return on investment is,” Aurélien explains. “But it’s rarely shared with employees. This is a critical metric that needs to be shared at all levels to empower the employees to feel part of the company.”
Building Trust Through Presence
Senior leaders often become disconnected because of packed schedules. Aurélien finds that simple availability creates the foundation for influence. “Being available makes you more trustworthy,” he says. “We have a tendency in senior leadership to be very busy, but what makes you trusted is having the connection that shows you’re somebody connected with reality.” Beyond just showing up, explaining the “why” behind changes prevents resistance. “When people link the reason to why they’re doing their work, it makes it better. When you explain to me the why behind the change, I’ll resist less.” His first rule for gaining buy-in? “Listening and connecting with people.”
Tailoring Communication Effectively
Communication fails when it’s not tailored properly. One practical tip Aurélien offers: don’t mix different audiences in the same meeting. “In your meetings, avoid mixing two populations because it makes it more complex to communicate,” he advises. “It’s never about the person speaking, it’s always about your audience.” He’s also discovered that important messages need repetition: “Communication works only if you have feedback. You need to communicate three times in two different ways, two different media for your message to be received.”
Leading Without Authority
Automation projects face natural resistance – nobody wants to be replaced by a robot. Yet Aurélien built his career on influencing without formal power. “I always grew thanks to my influence without having authority,” he says. His approach was relationship-based: “I was listening to people, connecting with them, trying to understand what benefit my company and the people I worked with were receiving.” When facing resistance to automation, he flipped the narrative: “I explained that these repetitive and mundane tasks weren’t something they liked doing. Let’s remove the robot from the human and focus on something you’ll bring higher value with.” This mindset shift is crucial: “Changing from cost-oriented to return-on-investment benefit oriented.”
Finding Your Leadership Purpose
For Aurélien, effective leadership starts with personal clarity. “The first step is always to find your purpose in life, understand what you’re good at, what you love, what you value, and what you can bring to the world.” From there, he builds emotional intelligence and connection skills. But perhaps his most valuable habit is actively seeking feedback. “I’ve always asked for feedback from the beginning, what I do well, what I don’t do well,” he says. “You need to be very vulnerable as a leader if you want to be effective because the feedback is where the money is, where the results are.”
When asked for his best advice for new executives, Aurélien doesn’t hesitate: “Accept losing control.” This counterintuitive approach solves one of leadership’s biggest traps. “When you grow to senior leadership, you’re scared to lose control, and that’s why you have micromanagers,” he explains. True influence comes when you “inspire others to make the right decisions” rather than making every decision yourself. By focusing on purpose, connection, and letting go, Aurélien believes any senior leader can transform their influence, and help their employees understand not just what they’re doing, but why it matters.
Follow Aurélien Mangano on LinkedIn to explore more leadership insights and coaching advice.
