Mikio Braun wrote an excellent post that I'd share with Senior ICs who try to understand how to increase their influence in the organization, leveling up to Staff/Principal level: "The notion of autonomy can also be misunderstood. It does not mean that you talk to nobody and come up with solutions by yourself and then push those through. Ideally, you will be talking with lots of people and get as much interaction and help to solve problems as possible. There are three main reasons for why you shouldn’t solve problems alone: By involving others you get their perspective and a fuller picture of what you need to consider. You give others the chance to work with you and (hopefully) learn. And finally, involving people in creating a solution goes a long way towards getting their buy-in."