Leadership is not about your title. It doesn’t matter if you have people who report to you or not. Those are definitions of supervision or management. Leadership and supervision are entirely different things. You can be a supervisor/manager who is or is not a leader. And you can lead without being a supervisor/manager too.
[ctt template=”3″ link=”16ucl” via=”yes” ]Leadership is not about your title. Can you lead without authority?[/ctt]
The goal of leadership is to get others to willingly cooperate and engage, rather than following orders just because you are the boss.
Think back through your career. Did you have people you enjoyed working with in your past, where you felt valued, understood, and appreciated? You genuinely enjoyed working with them and felt like you were part of a supportive team where it didn’t matter what the titles or paychecks were, that you were there to help each other?
The opposite is likely true as well. Did you have people that when you worked with them that you felt invisible, not respected, or that you were less than they were? You did the tasks you were assigned because you wanted to keep your job. You might have been mumbling under your breath while doing them, but you did them.
Notice I didn’t ask you to remember the past supervisors or bosses you had. Instead, think about those that you worked with.
Maya Angelou famously said, “People will never forget how you make them feel.”
Which leads to the question, how do we inspire and influence those we work with, regardless of our title? Can I lead without authority?
Absolutely!
The secret sauce of leadership is the impact you are having from your actions, the ability to inspire others by sharing your vision and getting everyone excited about it, and your ability to influence others to do what needs to be done because they want to do it and not because you said they had to.
[ctt template=”3″ link=”iaR55″ via=”yes” ]Here are three easy steps to lead without authority LINK[/ctt]
Here are three easy steps to lead without authority:
1) Share the “why.” You are leading without authority. You need to explain what needs to be done and why. By giving the big picture, others can see the vision and decide if this is worth their time. Blindly following requests of someone who doesn’t have authority isn’t a reasonable expectation, even if you are the nicest person at work.
2) Be competent. You will not be a leader without authority if you don’t know what you are doing—your competence in your job matters. Just because you are a nice person and easy to get along with does not mean that you will be a good leader. Your credibility is a significant element in your ability to lead. Take the time to ensure you do your job well!
3) Be appreciative. If you can’t take the time to thank people for what they do, why should they go out of their way to help you out and do the things that you need to do (especially if you have no authority)? Remember our Maya Angelou quote and take the time to make people feel acknowledged, understood, and appreciated. No one wants to think that their efforts were taken for granted.
Of course, leadership is bigger than these three simple steps, but this is a great place to start. Don’t let your doubts get in the way, and be strategic at work. Share the why, say thank you, and be sure you do your own job properly.
