Organizations are always having some kind of impact, but intentional impact is harder to deliver. Building better organizational outcomes requires relationships that emphasize comprehensive impact over the long term, ultimately creating better results.

A recent event at the Anderson School of Management, hosted by its Center for Impact, spotlighted the shift away from traditional consulting toward more human-centered, impact-driven influence. Now in its 20th year, the Center is adept at bridging the silos between nonprofit, for-profit, public, and private sectors. One of its most effective practices? Helping C-Suite Executives (CXOs) and Executive Directors prioritize organizational outcomes through deep, trusted relationships.

Panelists Joel Arquillos, Caroline Barlerin, Way-Ting Chen, and Jacqueline Chun shared how the power of relationship-based work is reshaping how we achieve results. Moderator Prof. Gail Northrop summarized their thinking: delivering value isn’t about being the smartest person in the room — it’s about becoming someone who can form deep, sustained relationships.

New Principles for Influencing Impact:

1. Build Deep Trust, Not Just Expertise

No matter our titles, we all need trusted partners to refine our strategies. CXOs and EDs benefit from supportive pushback, not “yes men.” These relationships can be intense, intellectually intimate, and grounded in trust.

2. Use Data Thoughtfully, Not Dogmatically

Data matters. But trust is what allows for honest, nuanced conversations about what the data actually means. Metrics are tools — not the strategy itself.

3. Strategy Lives in Dialogue, Not in Decks

PowerPoints and PDFs can document a direction, but real strategy is forged through dynamic conversation. Slides don’t spark transformation—people do.

If we want to make real impact — measurable, meaningful, and enduring — we must prioritize how we work together

4. Depth Doesn’t Always Mean Complexity

Business conversations increasingly invoke “relationship-building,” but what does that mean in practice? Audience questions helped bring texture to the theme:

An ED alum asked how to avoid consultants who just deliver slide decks and charge hefty fees. The room nodded. Despite good intentions, many of us still waste time and money on surface-level strategies. What’s really needed is a strategic confidant who can challenge and elevate our thinking.

Digging deeper: Effective organizational interventions start with psychological safety — a precursor to trust. Leaders must learn to receive feedback with humility. That’s where real growth begins.

5. Relational Strategy Enhances Data Strategy

The panel also addressed how relationships and data work together. Once we collect data, we need the relational skills to discuss what it actually implies for long-term impact. As researcher Amy Edmondson has written, psychological safety is the foundation for productive, data-informed dialogue.

6. Build Your Organization’s “Comprehensive Footprint”

Every organization has a footprint — an impact across employees, customers, funders, communities. The best strategies take all of these stakeholders into account. Metrics help, but relationships make this holistic work possible.

7. Don’t Confuse Metrics with Meaning

During the event’s reception, one alum shared that her youth-employment team had become so metrics-focused that they’d stopped communicating deeply. “We’re doing fine,” she said, “but we’re missing the chance to do something extraordinary.”

Conclusion

If we want to make real impact — measurable, meaningful, and enduring — we must prioritize how we work together. Investing in relational depth isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a strategic imperative. Our boldest goals are only possible when trust is part of the plan.