# How to Answer the Tell Me About a Time You Influenced a Decision Without Authority Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/interview-prep-with-fexingo-behavioral-questions-case-studies-and-hiring-manager-insights-7871582/how-to-answer-the-tell-me-about-a-time-you-influenced-a-decision-without-authority Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/interview-prep-with-fexingo-behavioral-questions-case-studies-and-hiring-manager-insights-7871582/how-to-answer-the-tell-me-about-a-time-you-influenced-a-decision-without-authority.md Podcast: [Interview Prep with Fexingo: Behavioral Questions, Case Studies, and Hiring Manager Insights](https://stenobird.com/podcast/interview-prep-with-fexingo-behavioral-questions-case-studies-and-hiring-manager-insights-7871582) Published: 2026-06-22T16:05:32+00:00 Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/business/interview-prep/episode-0068.mp3 Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/business/interview-prep/episode-0068.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/interview-prep-with-fexingo-behavioral-questions-case-studies-and-hiring-manager-insights-7871582/episodes/how-to-answer-the-tell-me-about-a-time-you-influenced-a-decision-without-authority Duration seconds: 335 ## Resource In this episode of Interview Prep with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky behavioral question: 'Tell me about a time you influenced a decision without formal authority.' They break down why hiring managers ask this, the key elements of a strong answer, and walk through a real example from a product manager who convinced engineering to change a launch timeline. Lucas shares the STAR framework adapted for influence—focusing on how you build coalitions, use data, and navigate politics. Luna presses on how to avoid sounding like you manipulated or overrode others. The episode ends with a listener email asking how to handle this when you're an introvert in a loud culture. Packed with specific phrases to use and traps to avoid, this is a must-listen for anyone preparing for mid-career or leadership interviews. #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #BehavioralInterview #InterviewPrep #Careers #Leadership #STARMethod #ProductManagement #CoalitionBuilding #DataDriven #StakeholderManagement #Podcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #JobSearch #InterviewSkills #SoftSkills #WorkplacePolitics #IntrovertTips Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/interview-prep-with-fexingo-behavioral-questions-case-studies-and-hiring-manager-insights-7871582/episodes/how-to-answer-the-tell-me-about-a-time-you-influenced-a-decision-without-authority/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/interview-prep-with-fexingo-behavioral-questions-case-studies-and-hiring-manager-insights-7871582/how-to-answer-the-tell-me-about-a-time-you-influenced-a-decision-without-authority.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.