Secrets to Leading Without Position or Authority
Yesterday, I asked an upper-level manager at one of the world’s largest organization how he’d risen through the ranks so rapidly – he lit up and talked collaboration.
He’s succeeding because he
influences people he can’t boss.
Leaders influence without position, title, or rank; they invite loyalty, passion, and commitment. They don’t coerce, pressure, or demand. Begin influencing when you don’t have authority by:
- Asking.
- Listening.
- Learning.
- Understanding.
- Explaining.
- Know what makes people tick.
- ???
Avoid:
- Telling.
- Pressuring.
- Demanding.
- ???
More on leading without direct-line authority:
Believe:
Belief isn’t just for religious folks;
it’s what great leaders do.
My friend said, “You have to believe.” Believe in the organization as a whole and the project, specifically. Belief fuels everyone’s passion.”
Believe in:
- The value you’re bringing, most importantly.
- The values, mission, and vision of your company. Buy it!
- The people you’re working with. Trust them.
- The value of your project. It matters.
- ???
Win:
“We don’t want to send product back and our supplies don’t want to take it back. It’s expensive. I started giving our suppliers weekly feedback rather than quarterly or semiannually. Now less of their product is rejected. In one case, we cut returns back by 50%. That saved us over 9 million dollars in one year. Everyone wins.”
You can’t win apart from consistent feedback, period.
Value:
“Show them how the project adds value.”
If you want people on your team,
make life better for them.
- Make work easier by creating simplicity and efficiency.
- Deliver better product.
- Increase profitability.
- ???
Humility:
I saw humility in him so I brought it up. Collaborators don’t need the spotlight they give it. “When projects are successfully completed, top billing goes to others on the team.”
You rise up when you help others rise up.
How can leaders lead when they don’t have authority?
Love this post – I’m a huge fan of collaboration and teams!
Thanks for the good word. It feels good.
How to show leadership without a title?
Notice what others do well. Compliment them and sing their praises to others.
Find a need and fill it. Do something (without being asked) that needs to be done that no one else wants to do. There is no traffic jam on the extra mile.
Spread good news and encouragement…face to face…thru emails…news flashes or bulletins.
Solve a problem.
Dauna Easley
From my experience: Ownership – It’s how loyalty is created. One of the lessons the military is good at – instilling ownership (These are ‘my troops’). Day or night work or play, family or friends I am accountable for their actions, their support and their willingness to work (morale).
None of that happens if I don’t care enough to commit to their success – if I don’t own them – take responsibliity for them and commit to them like my own family.
To lead without authority, we must want the organization to succeed in its purpose, and prefer that success to our own. This requires focused, purposeful activity for the good of the organization, deliberate building up of organizational capacity and people around us to help the organization succeed, continuous search for improvement in what we do, and constantly pushing ego aside.
Such leadership is infectious, whether it be from the top, middle, or bottom of an organization.
I highly recommend “The Leader Who Had No Title”, Robin Sharma
Reblogged this on lewandog and commented:
Another well done post on leadership by @leadershipfreak.
The best of the best leaders stand in the wings. They give everyone else the spotlight.
Empower your team. This way you can focus on the visionary stuff. Love it when I talk technical. ;-p
Believing in people, respecting them, based upon the assumption that they are doing the best they can had helped me a lot to get things fine. And ok, occasionally you need some patience ….
Dan, great topic. I am often asked how to lead without direct line supervision; this includes peers. I always like the way the question is asked, as if, “I can’t make them do anything, so why would they listen to me?” Your information helps people to understand the “how” and will expand their thinking about authority in general. When we think about it, we can’t make anyone do anything, but we can sure influence them.
I would add to your thoughts that influencing others starts with the core ability to be trustworthy and competent. Authority is often established by those two things You can have a broad base of influence when people know your motives are about the organization, clients, department, etc., In other words, you are not self-serving, and you are good at what you do.
Best…Jim
The fundamental basis of genuine Leadership is influence and not position. A leader who relies on position to lead is not leading, he’s only abusing his power!
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain…he’ll just give you passion, wisdom, courage and get you back to Kansas, but of course, all that was inside you anyway! 😉
I wonder Dan, if the word might be ‘ignite’ rather than ‘invite’ loyalty, passion, commitment. Not to borrow too much from Quint’s ‘firestarters’, but if you fire folks up, for the right reasons, not sure a title is needed. Showing/sharing heart can be positively contagious.
I love this! I have been able to lead without a position, and this give me great ideas to be more effective. These are great things even for those with position!
Good stuff, thanks for sharing.
I especially like the part about listening and understanding – to influence people, you must be able to see the world through their eyes!
I love this post, especially the part about humility!! When you are humble, your team speaks for you!
RMSorg
WallStreetBranding
Keen Observation is a strong characteristic needed for Leading without Position.
I fully believe in the “belief” aspect. When people see your inspiration and commitment, that you believe in something important they rally behind you.
Great post, Dan.
The competences you have showcased are indeed relevant and in fact are the ones which are used in a coaching process. Leadership without authority is akin to the leader and the others willing to become ” dancers of the moment”, at once intuitive and holding possibilities.
Cheers
Shakti
Dear Dan,
Good tips for creating an influence to benefit. Yet, this is true at the early stages of a career. Once you reach a leadership position at a senior level, collaborative efforts with an organization interest can help to get the top management support. Owning the responsibility with timely support can be the key to success.
This one is so important! Organizations need more collaborators and therefore more leaders without position or authority.
Trust is such a huge thing in leadership, and something so many leaders sadly lack. If you can’t trust your employees, why hire them? Constantly doubting them is just going to make them feel self-conscious and afraid of you, instead of relaxed, comfortable, and efficient. Great post!
People that maintain their own authority are able to trust in themselves. Therefore, trust in others to do what is expected. The authority given as a position gives them the authority to make decisions not over power the team. I believe, lacking trust and doubting others is within that person which has little to do with the team. A good leader doesn’t stand back and criticize; they participate.
Reblogged this on For your mind & future only and commented:
“If you want people on your team,
make life better for them.”
I enjoyed reading this post especially the Believe In and Humility part most importantly the values, mission and vision of your company we all should buy into it.
Just saw a video clip of Jim Collins that reminded me of this post:
http://youtu.be/lwNfbcOQBn0
If you need to tell someone that you are in charge, . . . . it’s because you’re NOT.
Anybody from Administrative Assistant to Project Manager can become a leader at work without the Director or C-suite level title. You need to take action for your own life and make things happen for you. Here is an article detailing my thoughts on branding yourself as a leader at work:
http://advertorious.com/2013/04/08/5-tips-for-branding-yourself-as-a-leader-at-work/