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Ways To Lead When You Are Not In ChargeHow is it possible to lead when you are not in charge?This is a struggle I have everyday. I often find myself trying to figuring out what it looks like to lead even though I am not in charge.I know young leaders frustrated with their current position. They are not involved in decision-making, so their response is to give up or become stagnate. And these are common responses to not being “the man.”But what if you could lead well now?What if you could lead even though you are not in charge?Read a Book by Clay Scroggins, and his thoughts lay the framework for most of the content below. Of course, I will mix in my thoughts as well.If you are a young leader struggling to determine your role or if you are unclear how to lead when you aren’t involved in the decision-making or planning process, this post is for you. Here are some ways to lead when you’re not in charge.
Know Your Self
It’s the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s emotional responses, so as to better be able to recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others. Dan GoldmanWhy is self-knowledge important? PAST:Your family plays a large role in shaping who you are.How has your past shaped how you see yourself?What’s the 5 highs and 5 lows of your past? PEOPLEThe people around you have a great influence and impactThey shape how we see ourselvesWho are the people around you right now and how are they affecting you and the way you see yourself?Who is in your corner?Whose has the greatest influence on you?Who shouldn’t have a voice? Who should? PERSONALITYHow are you wired?What is challenging is when you lack the ability to understand yourself andit isn’t clear on how it effects how you see yourself.What drains you?What energizes you?What frustrates you?What angers you? PURPOSEWe all long for how we fit into the bigger picture.Why am I here?Both personal and professionally.What can I uniquely contribute to the world?What does success look like for you?Again, personally and professionally.The degree to which you understand and feel a purpose for your life will affect the degrees of confidence and security you have in your identity. PROIRITIESI'm not talking about how your prioritize your life in regard to family, friends, work. I’m referring to your priority of truths. This is where your faith or lack of it come into play.This is where you exercise our will to make decisions and determine what we allow to define us. I am talking about what we decide what’s most important about who we are. We are do this whether we are people of faith or not. Two truths that have impacted me :
I am a Child of God.
I am deeply loved.
Because of that .. I believe that I am significant, accepted and secure. So my foundational needs as a human being are met.What do you choose to believe is most important about you?What ideal or value do you want to prioritize about yourself?This is less about others and more about what you choose to believe. You must learn to discipline yourself to keep these beliefs in front of you so they can continually shape your identity. The Clearer you are about who you are ….
the more consistent your will be with others
the more confident you will be about what you do
the less concerned you will be with the opinions of others
the less confused you will be by your emotions
Your ability to be a fearless leader is squarely rooted in your identity.Want to learn more? Listen to the The Edge podcast. www.theleadersedge.org