Meritocracy: a political philosophy which holds that power should be vested in individuals almost exclusively according to merit.
If you're reading the above, nodding your head, wishing it was the case in your situation maybe I can help. I'd like to offer some ideas and tips for the struggles Technical Leads or Senior Engineers are facing:
* How can you leverage your skills to move the organization when you don't have the authority?
* What should you pay attention to when giving an advice?
* What can you do to get your concrete suggestions deployed to production instead of perish in the source control?
* How should you work with your manager to plan and execute an agenda you actually believe in?
If you enjoyed the slides, you'd probably like my "hobbies":
http://softwareleadweekly.com/
http://leadingsnowflakes.com/