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

by Clay Scroggins

Andy has spent most of his life intentionally seeking to create a leadership culture where the people who are responsible for executing a decision are the ones with the authority to make the decision.

“Take responsibility to make great what you can make great.

if you fail to cultivate influence when you’re not in charge, you will have no influence to leverage when you are.

A worthwhile exercise to help you find your self-in-time would be to chart your life on a timeline by picking five highs and five lows from your past and marking them chronologically.

The clearer you are about who you are . . . • the more consistent you will be with others. • the more confident you will be about what you do. • the less concerned you will be with the opinions of others. • the less confused you will be by your emotions.

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.

If you want to know where you are and how you’re doing, you have to ask.

If you lead yourself well, you will ensure that you are always led well, whether you are under a great boss or not!

One of the greatest differences in the way each of us sees the world is in how we define the word “vacation.”

The lunchroom doesn’t develop muscle;

If you are creating something great, your time will come. And if your time hasn’t come yet, keep working to create something great.

When you wait for your boss to tell you what to do, your boss then has to think about how to do their job and your job.

never present your boss with just a problem. Always bring a plan for the solution.

Great leaders don’t get defensive.

Before you set out to challenge, you need to assess whether you’ve put in the work of relationship and if that relationship can bear the weight of the challenge you want to bring.

You cannot lead someone well if you don’t love them.

If you can’t stay emotionally neutral about a situation, you’re not ready to bring it up.

writes, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”

Great leaders know how to lead when they’re in charge because they’ve been leading long before they were ever given that authority.

if you wait to start leading, you will never be put in a position to lead anyway.

Good leaders are viewed favorably by those closest to them in the company. Great leaders are viewed favorably by everyone in the company.