Photo by Madasor

Steven Demaio wrote and great post, “Leading When You Don’t Have Formal Authority”, recognising that today, leadership is more about influence, than control. Leaders are finding that influence is required more and more for effective leadership. Leading without authority is the ultimate test of your leadership, ask anyone who has worked in or been involved in, leading a non-profit organisation!

Steven proposes leveraging the following three principles to increase the likelihood of success, when leading without authority.

1. Let your enthusiasm for the work be contagious. “Every job, project, and activity has unique fundamentals that, when respected, naturally enhance the endeavor. Engineers who truly revere math and physics, for example, tend not only to build better things but also to motivate other people (whom they often don’t manage) with their love of the discipline…  if what really drives you is the core of the challenge itself — and you let other people see that — most of them will be drawn toward your goal organically.”
2. Demonstrate excellence without being cocky or solicitous of approval. “Bearing the burden of someone else’s ego is always a turn-off, whether the ego is already big or in need of puffing up. When an ego-driven person is your direct manager, you just hold your nose and do your best to perform in spite of the stench… Needy leaders are rarely inspiring.”
3. Don’t be overinvested in outcomes. “Leaders who don’t have formal authority come under suspicion when they act more like a team captain than a curious scientist. Both know that outcomes matter, but the scientist subordinates the importance of outcomes as she leads quietly, whereas the captain — even one who isn’t driven by ego — tends to foreground them…”

Being involved in leading in a non-profit organisation, I have found three principles are really helpful. Passion, humility and adaptability are critical characteristics for influencing and leading in times when you have no formal authority.

Related posts:

1. How to improve your effectiveness when leading from below
2. You Know You Have Stopped Leading When
3. Eight principles that support a collaborative system