{"id":11326,"date":"2026-06-19T19:00:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T19:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/?p=11326"},"modified":"2026-06-19T19:00:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T19:00:29","slug":"beyond-authority-katrenia-reed-hughes-on-the-importance-of-influence-leadership-and-human-connection-in-project-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/beyond-authority-katrenia-reed-hughes-on-the-importance-of-influence-leadership-and-human-connection-in-project-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Authority: Katrenia Reed Hughes on the importance of influence, leadership and human connection in project management"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Katrenia Reed Hughes, associate professor of organizational leadership at Purdue University in Indianapolis, knows there is not just one path to becoming an effective leader. Her professional journey has included work in psychology, organizational development, corporate learning and higher education. Across those experiences, Reed Hughes has remained interested in how people build trust, navigate influence and lead effectively across different environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt feels like sometimes other people have a book that we don\u2019t have that teaches them how to become a super professional,\u201d Reed Hughes said. \u201cA large part of my work is helping people realize that leadership is not reserved for the loudest voice in the room or the person with the highest title.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Reed Hughes knows the secret of good leadership doesn\u2019t come from the pages of a book, her teaching, research and industry engagement have helped shape her perspective on how professionals build influence and lead effectively. In project management especially, success often depends on the ability to \u201clead without authority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cauthority myth\u201d and the power of influence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Reed Hughes served as a featured speaker at the Project Management Institute\u2019s PMXPO 2026 global virtual event, which brings together thousands of project management professionals from around the world. Her presentation, \u201cThe Authority Myth: Why Influence Matters More in Project Management,\u201d explored how effective leadership is often driven more by communication, trust and relationship-building than by formal authority alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reed Hughes\u2019 research into this subject was influenced by her experiences working with young professionals. During audience engagement surrounding the session, many early-career professionals reported that what they needed the most at work was influence without authority \u2014 that is, the ability to move projects forward and lead conversations, even with relatively little organizational power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is particularly relevant for young people,\u201d Reed Hughes said. \u201cThey\u2019re saying that they\u2019re brand new in their organization, and they don\u2019t have a lot of influence or power yet, but they\u2019re still accountable for the results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn to lead in project management with Purdue University’s online Project Management Graduate Certificate<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n Learn more<\/a>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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For young professionals, accountability without authority can feel overwhelming. That\u2019s why Reed Hughes wanted to give her audience concrete, practical tips for being strong relationship-builders and communicators. While formal authority can be elusive, relationship-building is accessible to everyone, and it can be achieved through small, daily actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about how you show up every day,\u201d Reed Hughes said. \u201cStaying curious, asking thoughtful questions, listening actively and building strong relationships before you need them \u2014 that’s the biggest thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The response to Reed Hughes\u2019 presentation was immediate and impactful. Her session reached over 20,000 project management professionals, generated nearly 80,000 impressions and received over 700 online questions. The message was clear: leading without authority was not a niche issue; rather, it was a concept that could help multitudes of young professionals lead more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relationship-building: Cultivating influence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Throughout her organizational experience, Reed Hughes observed that great project managers didn\u2019t all possess the same personality or the same traits. Some were highly relational and extroverted, while others led more quietly. But, most of them had one thing in common: they were good at managing relationships, not people.<\/p>\n\n\n

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When someone is really good at managing a relationship, it makes you want to take time out of your day to talk with them and work with them.<\/p>\n\n <\/blockquote>\n

Katrenia Reed hughes<\/p>\n

Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

According to Reed Hughes, strong professional relationships are rooted in trust, consistency and reliability. In turn, trust leads to influence. People who are trusted are also influential, and it\u2019s influence, not authority, that most project managers need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAuthority does play a role when decisions need to be made,\u201d Reed Hughes said. \u201cBut authority is not enough to lead well. Influence plays a bigger role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Reed Hughes\u2019 perspective, everyone has the capacity to be a relationship builder, regardless of personality style or natural strengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no style of person that makes a good leader,\u201d Reed Hughes said. \u201cYou have to use the strengths that you have and surround yourself with people who are good at the things you aren\u2019t good at.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not an extrovert,\u201d Reed Hughes continued. \u201cI have to push myself to be in a social situation. But I use that energy when I need it. It\u2019s not something I need to have all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Future Directions: Centering relationships in an AI-mediated world<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Currently, Reed Hughes is thinking a lot about the role artificial intelligence (AI) plays in project management and how this new technology is changing the project management landscape. Rather than running from this change, Reed Hughes has embraced AI as a collaborator. In her view, AI foregrounds how important it is to continue building strong relationships, both in human relationships and in how professionals collaborate with AI tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAI has changed what is possible in project management,\u201d Reed Hughes said. \u201cBut AI cannot build a relationship. It cannot read a room. It cannot navigate the political dynamics of a stakeholder meeting or earn the trust of a skeptical team member.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where project managers come in \u2014 they can excel at the interpersonal skills that cannot be automated. And, because AI is so adept at completing technical tasks, it can give project managers more time to focus on relationship-building.<\/p>\n\n\n

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In a world where AI is handling more of the technical work, those human skills are becoming more valuable, not less.<\/p>\n\n <\/blockquote>\n

katrenia reed Hughes<\/p>\n

Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIn a world where AI is handling more of the technical work, those human skills are becoming more valuable, not less,\u201d Reed Hughes said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming a strong relationship builder can also help professionals get more out of their interactions with AI. Reed Hughes has noticed that professionals get more value from AI when they approach it intentionally by providing context, asking thoughtful questions and engaging critically with the outputs they receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe way you prompt, the context you provide and the intentionality behind the interaction all shape the outcome,\u201d Reed Hughes said. \u201cIn that sense, it is not entirely different from working with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead with Purdue University<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Purdue University\u2019s Project Management Graduate Certificate<\/a> makes it easier for professionals to lead without authority by teaching leadership theories, PM principles, strategic project planning, and how to leverage influence to get the job done. Offered online in a flexible format, the program is aligned with the Project Management Institute\u2019s Body of Knowledge\u00ae (PMBOK\u00ae) and prepares students for the Project Management Professional (PMP\u00ae) exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For learners interested in applying graduate credit to a master\u2019s degree, all credits from the Project Management Graduate Certificate can be transferred to the online Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Supervision.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more by visiting the Project Management Graduate Certificate\u2019s webpage.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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