#39: Influence Decisions Before The Meeting Starts
Sep 18, 2025
Influence doesn’t happen in the meeting—it happens before it.
In this week’s Stepping Into The Arena podcast episode, Karen reveals why the real work of influence happens long before you step into the boardroom. She breaks down the three arenas of influence—before, during, and after the meeting—and shows you why shaping decisions ahead of time is the key to expanding your authority, credibility, and impact.
5 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Most of your leadership impact happens before. Pre-wiring, seeding ideas, and anticipating objections is where influence is won.
- Authority in the room comes from presence, not polish. How you listen, challenge, and carry yourself matters more than slides and data.
- After the meeting is where momentum sticks. Follow-up ensures decisions hold and builds long-term credibility.
- Common missteps weaken influence. Over-preparing content, under-preparing relationships, and assuming your title guarantees buy-in.
- Five steps to engineer influence. Map stakeholders, seed perspectives early, anticipate resistance, align with top priorities, and build momentum so decisions feel inevitable.
"By the time you walk into an important meeting, the decision has already been made. The only question is, were you part of shaping that decision?" – Karen Gombault
Meetings don’t make decisions—leaders do. And the leaders who shape decisions before the meeting are the ones who consistently expand their authority and impact.
🎯 Join the 3-Day Influence Lab (October 20–24, 2025) → https://www.karengombault.com/budgetlab
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