How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority

by Clay Scroggins

the real leaders in an organization will find a way to lead the charge until they are in charge.

When you find people who can get things done in an organization conspiring against them, you’ve found leaders.

Great leaders leverage influence and relationships over title and position.

The best leaders lead like they’re not in charge even when they are. The best leaders become the leaders by mastering the art of leading when they’re not in charge.

“What happens in the dugout is more important than what happens on the field”

Good quote

Hindsight is 20/20, but the future doesn’t have to be so blurry if we wear the right glasses.

create a leadership culture where the people who are responsible for executing a decision are the ones with the authority to make the decision.

Leaders don’t sit back and point fingers. Leaders lead with the authority of leadership . . . or without it. The authority is largely irrelevant—if you are a leader, you will lead when you are needed.

I

needed to accept the authority I had and then use it wisely to cultivate influence and make things better. I had confused having authority with the responsibility of leading. I had not yet realized that we don’t need authority to have influence.

positional authority alone does not equate to effective leadership.

Influence has always been, and will always be, the currency of leadership.

focus on your own area of responsibility and make it great.

“Take responsibility to make great what you can make great. And let others do it in the areas that they can make great. And if the whole company doesn’t do it, you can’t change that. But you can take responsibility for your area.”