The Invisible Web of Influence
Unseen forces shape how ideas ripple across your organization—understanding how trust and influence accelerate their spread is key to driving sustainable change.
Unseen Forces at Play
When we think about influence within organizations, it’s easy to imagine high-profile leaders or charismatic speakers wielding their authority. But in reality, some of the most powerful influencers are those who operate quietly, behind the scenes, shaping change in subtle but impactful ways. Often, it’s the individuals who are less visible in formal hierarchies, but who possess strong social and political capital, who can drive innovation and transformation.
This article explores the hidden networks that shape decision-making, culture, and behavior within organizations. Drawing on research from network science, psychology, and behavioral economics, we’ll uncover how ideas spread, who drives change, and how leaders can harness the power of informal influence to accelerate transformation.
How Networks Spread and Drive Change
One of the most significant breakthroughs in understanding influence within organizations comes from sociologist Mark Granovetter. His 1973 paper, The Strength of Weak Ties, revealed a counterintuitive finding: acquaintances—people who are not close friends—are often more valuable for spreading new ideas and opportunities than our closest ties.
Granovetter’s theory challenges conventional wisdom. Strong ties—such as close friends or family—tend to reinforce existing beliefs because these individuals move in the same social circles and consume similar information. Weak ties, on the other hand, connect us to a broader network and expose us to new perspectives, job opportunities, and innovative ideas that may not emerge within our immediate circle.
Building on concepts from previous articles, we can bring Maya back as a key example of how informal networks and weak ties drive organizational influence and change. In the network diagram below, Maya acts as a central connector between teams that are otherwise isolated, showing how individuals can bridge gaps and spread ideas across an organization.
This is particularly relevant in the context of organizations. In a corporate setting, it’s not always the top executives or department heads who hold the keys to transformative change. Often, it’s employees on the periphery—those who serve as connectors between different teams or divisions—who act as the catalysts for spreading new ideas.
Case Study: Connecting Remote Teams to Drive Innovation in Healthcare
At a healthcare network, a nursing director in a remote office started connecting with teams in different locations, sharing ideas about innovative practices. These weak-tie connections helped bridge isolated sites, spreading ideas and transforming the company's internal processes. Without these designed connections, novel processes might have remained siloed. Read The Hidden Network That Transformed a Healthcare System to see how that firm nudged these critical relationships.
The Ripple Effect of Influence
Now that we understand how individuals bridge networks, let’s explore how influence ripples through these connections. James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis’s research on the three degrees of influence reveals how behaviors, emotions, and ideas spread through social networks. They found that influence extends far beyond the people you directly interact with, reaching those connected to them—and even those connected to the next layer. In essence, the impact of an individual’s actions doesn’t stop at the first degree; it ripples outward, affecting people further removed from the original source.
Their research identified what they call the "Three Degrees of Influence":
Your actions influence your friends (1st degree)
Your friends influence their friends (2nd degree)
Their friends influence their friends (3rd degree)
This ripple effect begins with influence, which is the driving force behind how ideas spread. When one individual adopts a new idea or behavior, they influence their immediate network. But as those individuals begin to adopt the idea, they carry it forward, creating a chain reaction that continues to spread across the organization.
The Psychology of Influence (And How it Enhances the Ripple Effect)
While influence is the driving force behind the ripple effect, trust enhances its spread and effectiveness. When people trust the individual introducing the change, they are more likely to adopt and spread the idea, accelerating the ripple effect. Trust acts as a multiplier—ideas introduced by trusted individuals are more likely to be adopted, embraced, and passed along through their networks.
Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (1984) outlines six principles of influence: reciprocity, consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity. These principles are deeply woven into the fabric of organizational culture, and when combined with trust, they make the ripple effect even more powerful.
Social Proof and Authority: In organizational settings, the principle of social proof is especially powerful. People tend to look toward others for guidance, particularly in moments of ambiguity. Research shows that when employees are unsure how to respond to new ideas or initiatives, they often rely on what they observe others doing—especially if those others are perceived as experts or authority figures.
Reciprocity and Liking: At the individual level, influence often hinges on the more personal dynamics between individuals. When people feel that they have positive interactions with another, they are more likely to follow their lead. This is especially true in times of uncertainty when resistance can peak. Employees tend to look to those they find likeable to help them navigate change. Leaders can cultivate this influence by being transparent, reliable, and consistently supportive.
Leveraging influential relationships is especially important during periods of organizational change, when employees may feel uncertain or hesitant about new directions. By promoting credible ambassadors and role models who support the change, leaders can enhance the spread of new ideas and behaviors.
Case Study: Leveraging Informal Leaders for Organizational Transformation
In Beyond Top-Down Change, we saw how a company successfully leveraged the influence of informal leaders to drive organizational transformation. By fostering relationships and encouraging open communication, they were able to align employees across various departments, accelerating buy-in for the new initiative. This approach not only reduced resistance but also facilitated a smoother and faster transformation.
The Role of Trust and Credibility in Networks
Trust is a critical element in the spread of influence. Without trust, no network—formal or informal—can function effectively. Organizational trust isn’t just about reliability; it’s about the willingness of employees to take risks and adopt new behaviors, even when they aren’t fully sure of the outcome.
Research by Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman (1995) explored the foundations of trust within organizational relationships. They propose that trustworthiness is a factor of three core elements: ability (competence or skill), benevolence (showing that the individual has the other’s or the organization’s best interests at heart), and integrity (acting fairly and ethically). A lack of any one of these factors can undermine trust. Moreover, trust builds over time and with shared experiences, such as working together on successful projects or overcoming challenges.
Influence from Within: A Personal Example of Leading Change
Reflecting on my experience leading the Special Projects team for the C-suite, I learned that while my role as a researcher and consultant helped identify core organizational challenges, it was my long-standing relationships across the firm that allowed me to serve as a credible bridge. Over the years, I had developed trustworthiness through shared experiences with key influencers. This allowed me to affect change from within the heart of the organization, helping to bridge disconnected parts and quickly establish new ideas.
How Leaders Can Leverage Networks to Drive Change
While understanding the science of trust and influence is important, it’s even more critical for leaders to know how to tap into these informal networks. Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) provides a valuable tool for leaders, helping them map out who holds critical elements of persuasion and how information flows within the organization:
For Change Management: If you're rolling out a major transformation initiative, identify and engage employees with external networks across departments—not just team leads—to accelerate buy-in.
For Leadership: If you want a more innovative culture, consider how informal employee networks influence knowledge-sharing and decision-making, rather than relying solely on hierarchical structures.
For Business Strategy: If you want to spread an idea, don’t just focus on high-profile "influencers"—leverage the power of weak ties to reach new audiences and social circles.
For Organizational Culture: If you’re trying to change behavior, recognize that influence extends beyond direct connections. The culture you create in your inner circle will ripple outward in ways you might not immediately see.
ONA is a powerful tool for leaders, enabling them to identify key influencers and understand how information flows within the organization. By conducting an ONA survey, leaders can pinpoint employees who bridge networks, tap into weak ties, and target influencers who will help spread ideas and accelerate organizational change.
Harnessing the Power of Invisible Influence
The invisible networks within an organization are powerful forces that shape decisions, behaviors, and organizational results. By understanding how ideas spread through these networks—and by strategically leveraging the influencers within them—leaders can accelerate change, foster innovation, and ultimately achieve more sustainable business outcomes.
Ignoring these informal networks can lead to significant risks. Employees who are disconnected from key influencers may resist or delay the adoption of new initiatives, and unengaged informal leaders can inadvertently spread skepticism or misinformation. Leaders who fail to recognize and engage these networks risk hindering their change efforts or even facing active resistance from key stakeholders.
To tap into these networks, leaders must think beyond the formal organizational chart and recognize the hidden influencers who hold the key to driving transformation. Ultimately, it’s not just about having the right strategies in place; it’s about building social and political capital through these networks. By nurturing relationships and empowering the invisible leaders within your organization, you ensure that your change initiatives are not only heard but embraced, leading to long-term, sustainable success.
References:
Granovetter, M. (1973). The Strength of Weak Ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360-1380.
Cialdini, R. B. (1984). Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Harper Business.
Fowler, J. H., & Christakis, N. A. (2008). Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: Longitudinal analysis of the Framingham Heart Study. BMJ, 337, a2338.
Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 709-734.
Cross, R., & Parker, A. (2004). The Hidden Power of Social Networks. Harvard Business Press.
Thanks for sticking around to the very end. An astute reader like yourself may be asking the question, “how (and why) does resistance takes shape in the first place”. Well, dear reader, I have a treat for you! You can find that article here on the 3Fold Outcomes Substack: