SHRM26 Debrief · Leadership & Development · #2843

Expanding the Circle: How HR Leaders Build Influence That Matters

with Robyn Knox

▶ Watch on the SHRM portal ~64 min, distilled

influencetrustcredibility

"Start showing up, stop waiting to be asked, and expand your circle because greater influence does create greater impact."

What it was about

Influence is not a function of title but of trust, credibility, relationships, and visibility. HR leaders systematically undervalue and underuse the influence they could have, both inside and outside their organizations, because they wait to be asked instead of stepping forward.

By the numbers

almost 70-75% of employees actually trust AI more than they trust their manager

study cited while building a trust workshop, on AI vs. manager trust

only 19% of US employees strongly agree that they trust leadership at their organization

Gallup 2025 research on employee trust in leadership

75% of executives credit their mentors with helping them achieve their current promotion or status

2024 Forbes report on mentorship's role in career advancement

Key notes

Deliberately build a personal 'trust account' with colleagues by making consistent small deposits (eye contact, open posture, genuine smiles, undivided attention) rather than withdrawals like multitasking during conversations.
Develop credibility by knowing your business and industry deeply, staying current on workforce trends via SHRM resources, connecting HR and people strategy to business strategy, and publicly claiming a specific area of expertise through writing or speaking.
Identify the four key relationship roles in your life (friend, cheerleader, mentor, coach) and proactively reach out to thank them, since influence is built through intentional relationships, not accidental ones.

The contrarian takeEmployees increasingly trust AI more than their own managers, finding it faster, more skilled, and more comfortable to talk to — yet the speaker argues HR's job is to double down on distinctly human trust-building rather than lean into that AI preference.

Take this back Monday

Do this for your team

Text or call one mentor, coach, or cheerleader on your team this week just to thank them: don't wait for a reason.

Say this in your next leadership meeting

Influence isn't about title: it's built through trust deposits and showing up before you're asked, not after.

Watch out for

Waiting to be asked to serve on a committee, board, or speak and write, instead of offering proactively.
Playing it too safe and small, settling for comfort over growth, and mistaking a successful, comfortable career for reaching full potential.
Multitasking (e.g., texting) during conversations, which erodes trust even when unintentional.

Fun fact · Robyn Knox

Robyn Knox was appointed by South Carolina's Governor to the state's Workforce Development Board after being named to SCBIZ's inaugural South Carolina 500.

If this landed, see these

↳ Go deeperBe Bold: Unlocking Your Leadership Power and Influence as an HR LeaderSame "stop waiting to be asked" argument, plus a toolkit to act on it.⇄ The counterpointMentorship Is Dying: And We Are Pulling the PlugCounters that busy, transactional org structures kill trust no matter how proactive people are.✦ The unexpected oneLead with Presence: What Improv Comedy Teaches Us About Leadership and ConfidenceImprov's "yes, and" and deep listening are literal trust-deposit techniques in disguise.