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

by Clay Scroggins

‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them’ ” (Mark 10:42).

Adam and Eve’s fatal decision was to believe too little of God and too much of themselves. God gave them full dominion to kabash all his creation, but he gave them one stipulation—do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. For whatever reason, they didn’t believe he was to be trusted, and they disobeyed. This act set in motion the evolution of kabash to kibosh, from responsible stewardship of our ambition for God’s glory into a selfish negativity that seeks only what is best for me and mine.

The desire to rule or control without restraint is dangerous, but so is the inner passivity of waiting to have authority in order to lead.

when I responsibly cultivate that ambition and gain influence by answering his call upon my life, I’ll eventually have the authority to do what he wants me to do.

in Mark 12, the Pharisees are found trying to trap Jesus with binary options, but he offers them a third way. “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17).

His way allows us to love people in messy situations while also striving for the righteousness he desires for us.

So as you dig into your ambition and unpack your motives for leading, you’ll better understand why you desire to be a leader in the first place.

What he says is that for us to fully live out the kabash God has put in us, in a way that shows love for him, it must also be for the benefit of others—and not for us alone.

Just as there are inalienable rights, there is such a thing as inalienable responsibility.

When you make a judgment about someone, specifically your manager, you will persistently look for behaviors to justify the judgment you’ve made.

All of us need to be cautious using the “hall pass” in leadership as well.

Your boss is not in charge of you. You are in charge of you.

You are in charge of your emotions, your thoughts, your reactions, and your decisions.