3 Ways Service Desk Managers Can Influence C-Level Decision-Making

Service desk leaders often find themselves in a unique position. You’re on the front line of IT support, dealing with day-to-day challenges, while also having valuable insight into how technology impacts the wider business. The catch? Communicating that value upwards and influencing C-Level decision-making isn’t always straightforward.

The good news is that with the right approach, service desk managers can shape IT strategy, align ITSM with business goals, and make sure their teams are recognised as more than just “ticket closers”.

Here are three practical ways you can elevate your influence at board level:

1. Prove IT value with the right metrics and reporting

C-Level executives want to see outcomes, not outputs. They’re less concerned with how many tickets your team closed last week, and more interested in the bigger picture:

• How is IT helping the business meet its goals?
• Are we improving productivity and reducing costs?
• Is the employee or customer experience getting better?

Answering these questions comes down to reporting ITSM metrics that matter. Rather than overwhelming leadership with data, focus on telling a clear story that links your service desk activity directly to business impact. For example:

• Service desk metrics for C-Level: Show how reducing call logging time by 80% frees staff to focus on innovation.
• Demonstrating ITSM ROI: Translate improvements into cost savings or efficiency gains.
• Communicating IT value: Frame your reports in business language. For instance, instead of “we’ve automated 200 requests,” say, “we’ve saved the business 150 hours of staff time this quarter.”

Tip: Use dashboards that are easy to digest at a glance. Executives rarely have time to dive into raw numbers, but a clear chart showing time saved, customer satisfaction trends, or reduced downtime will make your message land. With Sunrise, our SDI-accredited reports mean you can be confident the metrics you share are meaningful, consistent, and aligned with industry best practice. 

2. Align service desk goals with business strategy

One of the most effective ways to gain influence is to show alignment with organisational strategy. C-Level leaders care deeply about hitting targets like revenue growth, customer retention, compliance, or operational resilience. Your job is to connect IT service management directly to these outcomes.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Understand the bigger picture: Stay informed about your organisation’s priorities, whether that’s digital transformation, cost reduction, or sustainability.
• Strategic IT management: Position the service desk as a key enabler. For example, if the business is prioritising hybrid work, highlight how your self-service portal reduces remote worker downtime.
• Proving IT value to the board: Link ITSM improvements to tangible benefits like faster onboarding, fewer customer complaints, or stronger compliance tracking.

When ITSM aligns with the board’s objectives, the service desk stops being a background function and becomes a strategic partner.

3. Strengthen leadership skills to influence at board level

Influence doesn’t just come from metrics and alignment-it also comes from how you communicate. Strong IT leadership skills can make the difference between your message being heard and being overlooked.

Key skills to develop:

• Storytelling with data: Don’t just present numbers-paint a picture of how IT impacts the business today and where it can take the business tomorrow.
• Confidence in communication: Keep things straightforward. Focus on outcomes the business cares about, and always be ready to answer the golden question: ‘how does this help the business?’
• Elevating IT service management: Position yourself and your team as innovators who spot opportunities, not just fix issues.
• Building relationships: Engage with stakeholders outside of IT. When Finance or HR leaders see how the service desk makes their lives easier, you gain advocates at the top table.

As a service desk manager, you’re uniquely placed to bridge the gap between IT operations and business strategy. Hone those communication skills and you’ll find your seat at the decision-making table. And if you’d like to strengthen your case with powerful visuals and data, take a look at Sunrise’s ITSM reporting suite and dashboards, including our ITSM wallboard, designed to help you clearly demonstrate the true value of IT across the business.

Influencing C-Level decision-making isn’t about overwhelming executives with data or chasing “IT buzzwords”. It’s about demonstrating the real-world business impact of ITSM, aligning IT strategy with business goals, and developing the leadership skills to confidently tell that story.

By focusing on metrics that matter, aligning your service desk with strategic priorities, and sharpening your communication, you can elevate the role of IT service management from support function to strategic driver. And when the board sees the service desk as a critical part of business success, you’ve done more than influence their decisions-you’ve reshaped their perception of IT’s role in the organisation.

Want to make your case at the boardroom table? Download our free guide for practical ways to strengthen your strategy, and take the scorecard to uncover where your service desk can make the greatest impact. Find them both here.