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

by Clay Scroggins

Choose to trust your boss.

“Find the most generous explanation for each other’s behavior and believe it.”

Trusting that your boss has your best interest in mind is a choice.

Admit to yourself and to your boss that you may be missing information.

It’s about challenge with meaning and passion. It’s about living life on purpose.”

Why? Why are you suggesting this change? Why will this change make it better? The answer to why is not

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action,

Adjust your approach to fit the person.

How you challenge will determine how your boss feels about you.

We must lead with the total totem pole in mind, regardless of our own position on the pole. If you are at the bottom of the corporate ladder right now, start leading in a way that people in every position can respect.

PEOPLE LEAVE MANAGERS, NOT JOBS

“When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan” (Prov. 29:2).

incapable of doing, nor was he being lazy by micromanaging. He was forcing them to live up to their potential. That’s what we are called to do as leaders, and that’s something we can do whether we are in charge or not. It’s

He used his influence to make them reach their fullest potential.

MAKE A LEADERSHIP LIST

“As now, so then.” Or to put these four words into our context: as you’re leading now, so

you will lead then.