Today I’m bringing you in on the first chapter of “How To Lead When You’re Not In Charge” by Clay Scroggins. This book has been in my heart for over a year, and the timing to read it is perfect. As a driven leader, I fell into the lie that we will discuss further. It has caused me to play the victim card and blame others, but it ultimately caused me to make less change…the very thing I drove for. Despite your title or leadership position, I hope you learn how to leverage influence in all areas of life.
In his first chapter, Scroggins makes the following quote on authority:
“When I had authority, I could lead. If I had no authority, I was just waiting my turn.”
Have you ever been there? For me, it was slightly different. I had PLENTY “authority” roles (albeit small) growing up. However, as I got older, those began to dissolve, and I became frustrated because I couldn’t use this gift God had been honing to lead. That’s the lie. Life has taught us that leadership and being in charge come as a pair.
Three Ways To Lead When You’re Not In Charge:
Wait until you’re in charge to attempt to lead and drive change
You know how this starts, right? You make a statement, present an idea, or answer a question only to be shut down. Scroggins shares this hurt, saying, “When you tried to share your plan last time, you felt ignored. Or even worse, you felt like you were seen as a renegade or a thorn in the side of the one in charge.” Have you ever felt this way?
For many, the solution is to back down, stop offering suggestions, and just remain unknown. In Luke 19, Jesus tells the parable, which says to occupy till the master comes. That is not a passive statement; that is a forward-moving action. Have you heard of entropy? It’s the idea that anything not growing is dying or moving to disorder. I do not believe this is a healthy action, for it will not yield the correct fruit. However, for some people, feeling unheard or ignored causes the opposite of passivity, which is your second option.
Drive Change By Leading Loudly
Notice, I say, leading loudly and not aggressively. These people aren’t bad, but their lack of identity or perception of things can drive a wedge into a team. I, unfortunately, land in this grouping more often than not. We perceive our values and opinions aren’t heard, which drives us to get louder.
These people (and myself) have dug into the lie that positional authority must be a prerequisite for effective leadership. They feel powerless to save the boat (company) from capsizing when they aren’t at the top. These people often get louder to get their point across because it will help save the boat. Unfortunately, the view of help here isn’t using influence but force.
The people who fall into this category tend to be high achievers. While they must learn to deal with these situations, they must also be handled differently than most people.
Leveraging Influence To Present Your Ideas/Change
We cannot allow ourselves to confuse authority with the responsibility of leading. We are each called to lead, or a better word would be steward. If you have ideas and visions of how things can be better but feel stuck in a position where nothing is getting done, stay tuned to these next few weeks.
Scroggins mentions that “influence has always been, and will always be, the currency of leadership.” It’s time to reject the lie that we must be in charge to lead. Take the following people as examples:
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a co-pastor and Southern Christian Leadership Conference president. He had some authority in the presidential role, but what control did he have over the entire African American population?
Nelson Mandela sat in prison for 27 years with NO authority. Before that, he was part of a small government party that didn’t see much achievement, and few respected them in South Africa. After his release, his influence drove the president at the time to work with Mandela to break apartheid in South Africa.
Gandhi refused to use violence yet revolted against one of the most powerful governments in the world. Before the revolt, Gandhi was simply known as an Indian nationalist who eventually joined the Indian national congress. Throughout the revolution, he never held a formal position.
Jesus may be the best example of all.
Not because it’s the Christian answer but because he carried so much influence. Jesus was a mere boy raised by a craftsman. He studied well, honored others, and would only criticize the religious people. He used invitations to bring people into his life. From that point, Jesus’ influence captivated the hearts of hundreds. His influence carried past even those who believed in Him. He was no formal teacher, had no one backing Him, and didn’t force people to do what He wanted.
Near the end of the chapter, Scroggins says that Influence ALWAYS outpaces authority. A Harvard Business study found that it wasn’t the CEOs making the change but the middle managers leveraging everything they could above and below them to drive change. If you feel like you’re called to leadership, there is a good chance you are. Don’t just sit back; start cultivating influence where you’re at. Find your sphere of influence at work and take that from good to great. Make what you have significant; be willing to listen and learn as you make mistakes. Those who are faithful in the little will be faithful in much. Those words are a promise. Cling to them.