From the course: Leading without Formal Authority

Develop a leadership mindset

From the course: Leading without Formal Authority

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Develop a leadership mindset

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- The traditional view of leadership is boss in charge of employee. That's changing because the need to inspire others and drive results is not limited to those holding the title of manager. Leading without formal authority is on the rise, but it's more subtle and not always reflected in a straightforward org chart. Informal leadership often looks like a subject matter expert who's become a need-to-know person inside of their organization, a manager of a cross-functional project that depends on a lot of other people doing their part on time, or a new hire heading up an initiative who needs data from this department and graphics from that department and sign-off from this other department. Your ability to set direction, adapt to change, and win the hearts and minds of the people around you has a huge impact on your performance. You're more likely to get engagement on your projects and support from your peers. It also sets the stage for more formal leadership later. When you successfully lead without formal authority, you're more likely to be given formal authority, and you're more likely to handle that authority well because you've spent time investing in your communication skills and your leadership abilities up front. And if that's not incentive enough, leading without formal authority can lead to some major breakthroughs that make a lasting impact on the world. For example, Ken Kutaragi was a relatively junior Sony employee who spent hours tinkering with his daughter's Nintendo, trying to make it more powerful, more user-friendly. He collaborated with his colleagues, he got buy-in from management, and eventually he invented the Sony PlayStation. Or let's look at Katie Bowman, a 29-year-old computer scientist who led a project that resulted in the first ever image of a black hole, a game-changing development in astronomy. Katie was a postdoc researcher with no formal direct reports. Making a significant impact typically depends on other people. Being able to lead up, down, and sideways ensures you reach your full potential in this role and in roles to come. Start thinking of yourself as a leader, even if you don't hold the title of manager. The conversations you have, the way you make other people feel, and the behavior you model, that is leadership.

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