Harris Voices: Lanetta Haynes Turner, CLA'16, on Authority Versus Influence

As a part of Harris Public Policy's and the Center for Effective Government’s celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA), we asked previous fellows how CLA has impacted their work as civic leaders. These are their opinions and perspectives, informed by their own life experiences and worldviews (and do not necessarily reflect the views of Harris).

Being a civic leader in the public sector and having a “seat at the table” is certainly a privilege and honor that guides my path as the Chief of Staff for Cook County Offices under the President. It is also one that I believe comes with an extraordinary set of responsibilities to lead authentically and inclusively not just by authority but through influence. The distinction between authority and influence, while I had heard it before, didn’t quite resonate the same as it did when it came up as part of our CLA class discussion on Leadership in 2016.

It was one of many aha moments for me during my time as a Fellow and seven years later, I continue to reflect on, and practice leading by influence as I navigate my day-to-day responsibilities. Connecting with and learning from peers who were going through some of the same challenges that were before me provided an opportunity to tap into a broader network of perspectives that are not often readily available in the public sector. Sharing problems and potential solutions with like-minded peers and being energized and motivated by their respective talents and the work they were doing was invaluable then and now.

CLA has helped me re-affirm the importance of my network and being able to pick up the phone and share information and knowledge with peers not just in my class but in other cohorts as well. CLA also taught me the value of continually unpacking and turning my own leadership style on its head, examining the ways that I show up in different spaces and leaning into the evolution of my leadership even when it may be uncomfortable to do so.