A while back, my boss advised me to think of my job in thirds. Here’s how he broke it down:

1. One third of your job is to run your function.
2. One third of your job is to influence the company.
3. One third of your job is to influence the industry.

This is both very cool, and very challenging. I totally agree with all three categories. They are all very important. The radical part is the proportion. Many would break this out 98-1-1, 90-5-5, or at very best 80-10-10. 33-33-33 is hard to fathom.

Many of us think “do your job” and “run your function” are two ways of stating the same thing. If you think about your job description, annual goals, and strategic initiatives, chances are good that almost all of them fall into the “run your function” category. That’s bad news. When do you find time to do the other two thirds of your job?

How do I get “run my function” down to one third of my time?

Delegate, delegate, delegate. In short, if someone other than you can do it, then don’t do it. Only do what only you can do. I have my own theory of delegation. Be sure to check it out here.

Who do I delegate all of this work to? You need to develop leaders within your team. If you find yourself without anyone capable of receiving delegation, you need to focus instead on leadership development. Making new leaders is one of the greatest joys of being a leader. Read my lesson on multiplication here.

How do I influence my company?

1. Become a servant leader. Look for opportunities to help others with their goals, rather than solely focusing on your to-do list. This will broaden your influence more than anything else.
2. Work on your political savviness. This isn’t about playing politics. Rather, you need to understand how influence and power flow across the organization and then insert yourself into that flow. Learn to harness it, but not manipulate it.
3. Enlarge your vision. Think of yourself as a leader of the company, not just a leader of your function. What enterprise-level initiative can you help drive? This can be big like a rebranding effort, or it can be small, like the annual charity drive. It’s important to get involved in company-wide efforts.

How do I influence my industry?

1. Have a great social media presence. Get busy on LinkedIn and Twitter for starters. Contribute, don’t just lurk. Write a blog.
2. Participate in User Groups and Meetups. These are great places to learn and build your network.
3. Take as many public speaking opportunities as you can. You will be seen as an industry influencer sooner than you think.

These ideas should get you started. Just like you, I spend most of my time running my function and have yet to achieve the equal one-third ratios. I’m not taking credit for this idea. I don’t think it originated with my boss either. This is an idea that has been organically passed around, and now I’m doing my part to pass it onto you.