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

by Clay Scroggins

Life teaches us that the authority to lead and the opportunity to lead are a package deal. We think they go hand in hand like cranberry sauce and turkey. When we’re given the authority to lead—a title, a uniform, a corner office—then, and only then, will we have the opportunity to lead. But that’s just not true.

We come to see positional authority as a prerequisite for effective leadership.

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.

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.

what you can do is 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.”

When others make us feel like we’re under their thumbs because they’re in charge and we’re not, it sucks the ever-loving life out of us.

Been there

When someone has to pull out the gun of authority, something is broken. You only pull out the gun of authority when nothing else is working.

the best leaders, the ones who align with his vision for leadership, will lead as servants who are aware of their responsibility and who answer to a higher calling.

Influence always outpaces authority. And leaders who consistently leverage their authority to lead are far less effective in the long term than leaders who leverage their influence. Practice leading through influence when you’re not in charge. It’s the key to leading well when you are.

All human beings have a measure of leadership loaned to them. We may not immediately recognize it for what it is, but we each have the ability, as well as the opportunities, to influence others and effect change in this world. And the earlier we begin to fan the flame of the gift of influence, the more it will grow.

leading without authority means you need to have a clear understanding of your identity—who you are as a leader, apart from any titles.

Near the core of what makes a person a leader is their sense of identity.

our identities precede our actions; our behaviors flow from our identities. So before we spend any energy on what we do as leaders, we really need to spend some time on who we are as leaders, especially when we are not the ones in charge.

accepting a distorted identity is failing to live in reality, which will ultimately erode your ability to lead.

who we’re around in different seasons of life has such a profound impact on who we are.

So true. Friends keep going away.

we use RightPath and StrengthsFinder.

What you believe about why you’re on earth will deeply affect the opportunities you see available to you and how you should capitalize on them with your time, gifts, talents, and energy.

The degree to which you understand and feel a purpose for your life will affect the degree of security you have in your identity.

“I know your weaknesses. I know what you’re not good at. I know you stutter. I know you’re scared. I know you’re insecure. I know your past. I know about it all. But I don’t want that to define you. You have what it takes! Well, you don’t have what it takes, but because I’m going to be with you, you have what it takes! Now go! And quit worrying about who you are not and focus on who I AM!”

If you fail to believe what God says about your identity, you will fail to reach the potential he’s put in you as a leader. Your ability to be a fearless leader is squarely rooted in your identity.

“You have to not care whether you live or die.” The takeaway for us, as leaders, is to recognize that the best leaders may or may not have all the authority they need or want, but the security of their identity—especially as someone called and loved by God—gives them a freedom and fearlessness to do what is right. They are able to challenge well, to lead by making a way even when there isn’t a way.

Fear thrives in the absence of love. Fear will dominate your identity until you begin to stand under the unending, never-failing, ever-gracious waterfall of love that your Creator has for you. He holds your future. He loves you perfectly. He accepts you unconditionally. Lead like you believe this to be true.

You don’t have to allow thoughts of fear, inadequacy, and insecurity to take up residence in your mind. If you do, they will slowly erode your identity and render you ineffective as a leader.

how you respond to your boss, to your coworkers, to your circumstances, to your thoughts and emotions, and to God—that will shape and determine your future as a leader.

I believe God has placed desires inside of us: a desire for more, a desire to see things change, a desire to make things better, and a desire to lead. But those desires can easily get twisted. And when the ambition inside us is distorted, it affects every aspect of our leadership.

My senior year of high school, I remember an itinerant preacher rolling through our church, selling a different take on ambition. He told our youth group that we needed to have a “holy ambition.” At the time, I thought it was just another weird Christian phrase and a terrible name for a mid-90s Christian boy band. I could imagine the announcement over the PA system at youth group: “Forget Backstreet, ‘N Sync, and 98 Degrees! You don’t have to go for that, because tonight, we have the latest band to hit the Christian music scene . . . Holy Ambition!” Cue the track. Hit the stage. Crowd goes wild. At least that’s how it went in my mind.

When our good, God-given ambition is distorted, it can manifest itself in a selfish need to be in charge, to seek recognition, or to exert control over others.

leading when you’re not in charge does not mean you learn skills to get ahead by circumventing the authority above you. Just as the response of killing ambition mutes something God has placed within you, the response of letting your ambition run wild fails by allowing your ambition—instead of God—to take the driver’s seat.

you will never find that magical place where you can lead without any constraints. There isn’t a healthy church or organization that exists for leaders who think they don’t need an authority over them. The dream of an unrestricted frontier where you can lead exactly how you want, when you want, and in the direction you want is a pipe dream. It doesn’t exist.

God blesses us by giving us a purpose for living. He gives us an agency—something to do.

There aren’t many shows that make me laugh like Seinfeld. If you don’t consider it one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, we’ll have trouble being friends. Through years and years of mental training, I have conditioned my mind to operate on two levels: on one level, I function in life. On another level, I run my life through my “Seinfeld Directory,” making connections between my life and various Seinfeld episodes. It’s taken years of what some would say has been wasted time and effort, but deep down it brings me joy. And that makes it worth it to me.

A kabash leader doesn’t need authority, but he or she cultivates influence through relationships. A kabash leader knows that the way to the front isn’t by pushing ahead or waiting until the game is over; it’s getting behind people and helping them move ahead. Just like a master gardener, a kabash leader gives space for people to thrive and cultivates growth in others through time, attention, care, and kind correction. The way to lead is to serve, and the way to create something great is to give people space to thrive in the way God has gifted each one. A kabash leader is marked with humility because they know that pride sets us against God (see James 4:6). A kabash leader is courageous, not because they possess inner strength, but because they know God is the one who controls the destiny of every man and woman. A kabash leader longs to organize and create for the betterment of all—for the good of others and not just the good of the leader. A kabash leader uses his or her influence to help others get ahead and not to get ahead of others. A kabash leader pours out, trusting that God’s new mercies each day will be enough to fill them up.

Before others can lead you, you must learn to lead yourself. You need to own your desires and ambitions; no one can lead you any further than you’re leading yourself.

I submitted an informal, anonymous 360-degree survey to about fifty of the coworkers I had in my former role. I asked them three simple questions: 1. What did I do over the past few years that inspired you? 2. What did I do that frustrated you? 3. What do I not know about myself that has become a blind spot?

There is feedback orbiting around your world that could change you, grow you, stretch you, and make you better, but the responsibility for soliciting that feedback is yours! You are in charge of you!

You have to be willing to receive it.

Everyone needs to be able to answer this question: what are you doing to lead yourself well? What is your “Lead Me Plan”? To lead you well, you need to focus on three simple aspects: 1. Know where you currently are. 2. Have a vision for where you want to go. 3. Develop the discipline and accountability to do what it takes to stay on track.

Most of the big employment decisions in your career will happen when you’re not in the room. That’s sobering, but I know it’s been true for my career. I’ve gotten jobs and I’ve lost jobs based on what people have said about me in rooms where I was not present. At times, some have spoken positively about me, and at other times, some have spoken negatively about me. Either way, it’s their opinion of me that matters. The same is true about your career. The people you work for have thoughts about you. They may even have thoughts about your future. It doesn’t help you if there is something keeping you from an opportunity—but you are the only one who doesn’t know it.

This doesnt matter when the person lies or misrepresents you

Do not miss what God has for you by failing to lead yourself well. Perhaps God has put you in the position you are in to help you learn what you need to learn to lead yourself well. If you lead yourself well, you will ensure that you are always led well, whether you are under a great boss or not!