Leaders are frequently tasked with driving change and delivering outcomes—launching new initiatives, fixing broken processes or reshaping culture—without formal authority over many of the people they need to influence. While it has been famously stated that "leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less," success in these situations often depends not only on talent and skill, but also on visible backing from above. That air cover frequently isn't automatic. When leaders are asked to push for change without explicit support, even the most capable can sometimes falter. Without executive backing, they can face credibility gaps, resistance can harden and burnout can follow as they try to push through alone.
When air cover is not offered proactively, it can be hard to know whether and when to ask for it—and how to do so without appearing weak. Some leaders wait too long, asking only after opposition has already set in. Others ask too soon, or when they don't truly need it, unintentionally signaling dependence.
I've seen this dynamic play out in starkly different ways across two senior leaders placed in similar change agent roles. One played her cards well, including choosing not to ask for the air cover she initially thought she needed, and ultimately saw her scope expand. The other couldn't recover from the relationships he had strained while dutifully trying to deliver on his mandate. Had he sought air cover earlier, the outcome might have been different.
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