Let’s say you want to find some leaders to learn from, so you jump online and Google ‘great leaders’. The first result is images of Ghandi, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. So hey, no pressure, but if you want to be a great leader, apparently you pretty much have to change the world.
While no one questions that these leaders were indeed great, it’s a pretty narrow definition of leadership. In his awesome TED Talk, leadership guru Drew Dudley argues that by making our definition leadership into something bigger than ourselves, we fail to acknowledge that we’re all leaders in our everyday lives, which gives us an excuse to not expect leadership from ourselves and from those around us. Leading without a title is about reversing this trend, and recognizing the ways that we can, and do, display leadership in our everyday lives.
Leadership doesn’t have to change the world (although if enough people start leading without a title, it can), and it isn’t something that only comes with a management role. It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO, or the guy that delivers the CEO’s mail, there are simple things that you can do to lead without a title in your workplace, school or community.
Lead by speaking up and stepping up
You don’t need to be the boss to question the status quo and drive change. In fact, being the person willing to speak up and ask the hard questions can actually be easier when you’re not the one ultimately responsible for the results.
In his seminal work, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni argues that the desire to preserve artificial harmony in teams stifles the occurrence of productive, ideological conflict. Don’t be afraid to constructively challenge the idea that everyone agrees with – be known as the person who speaks up and is willing to drive change. People will start to see you as a thought leader, and you’ll be helping your team generate better outcomes and more creative solutions.
Lead by attitude
When the organisation I work for recently went through a gruelling restructure, the most inspirational and motivating leadership didn’t come from managers, it came from a handful of employees who kept a positive attitude, avoided the gossip and looked out for other members of team.
One of the biggest myths of leadership is that great leaders are all spellbinding orators who inspire followers with their words. But in reality, authentic leaders don’t just inspire with their words, they inspire with their attitudes. Have you ever noticed that the word ‘influenza’ has the same root as the word ‘influence’? True leaders are contagious, and positive attitudes catch-on the quickest. Check out Kurt’s post How Being Positive Enhances Career Potential for some awesome tips on how to bring a positive attitude to work.
Lead by opportunity
One of the pitfalls of contemporary organizational hierarchies is that often, people-leaders become so involved in the processes of management that they don’t have the thought space to see opportunities when they arise. But while this can be a problem, it can also be a great chance for people on the ground to recognize and take advantage of these opportunities.
This doesn’t necessarily mean increasing your workload, it just means keeping an eye on the wider vision, values and organizational priorities that you’re working within. That way, you’re aware of the trends and movements that senior managers might be too removed from, and you can be ready to seize any opportunities that come up.
Leadership is all about stepping up and making a positive difference for yourself and the people around you. So, forget about your title, take a chance, and be the leader you want to be.