So, you’ve made the leap. You began as an individual contributor in your organization, and now you’re a new manager, with direct reports and greater exposure to middle and even senior management. This is a major step toward making your mark on the organization’s culture and operations.  

However, you might wonder what kind of influence you really have. The truth is, quite a bit. In most organizational hierarchies, frontline managers outnumber every other kind of manager. Estimates find that 50% to 60% of all managers are frontlines, and collectively manage 80% of all employees. Frontline managers also tend to have the best read of what’s happening because they’re closest to the action. They’re the most qualified to report on which on-the-ground processes need fixing. 

It’s difficult to tap this influence because you might see aspects of speaking up as scary or risky, so you decide to keep quiet. And if you do make your voice heard, you might struggle to get busy, distracted senior leaders to engage with your ideas.  

Fortunately, the science of social threat and power can help any new manager use their voice to add value to the organization, support their team, and be heard by those holding higher positions.