Leadership is about influence, not authority. It doesn’t depend on the position or title you hold, but on how you present yourself, how you treat others, and the impact you create, regardless of your job role. In this regard, I recommend Robin Sharma‘s excellent book, “The Leader Who Had No Title.” Robin Sharma himself often says, “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you feel for your work, and you must inspire your teammates and clients.”
Recently, the renowned Australian writer and speaker Daniel Abrahams published the 10 signs that you are already a leader (even if you don’t have the title). I wanted to share these 10 SIGNS WITH YOU SO YOU CAN CHECK TO WHAT EXTENT YOU ARE A LEADER regardless of your hierarchical situation or the responsibility you have.
- PEOPLE SEEK YOUR ADVICE. You can check if others trust your judgment and ideas. You are known for giving honest and constructive feedback.
- YOU TAKE THE INITIATIVE. You usually solve problems before being asked. You tend to step forward when something needs to be done.
- YOU INSPIRE OTHERS. Your actions motivate people to improve. People follow your example.
- YOU STAY CALM UNDER PRESSURE. In delicate moments, challenges don’t unsettle you, and you know how to stay calm. Others seek you out when things get tough.
- YOU EMPOWER OTHERS. You often help people grow and succeed. You celebrate and support the growth of others. As Daniel Abrahams says, “Leadership is not about having power over others. Leadership is about empowering and serving others.”
- YOU LEAD BY EXAMPLE. You are not afraid to do the hard work. You lead by example and show that you are not above performing any task.
- YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. You frequently accept mistakes and find solutions. You don’t blame others when things go wrong.
- YOU BUILD TRUST. As it is often said, trust is essential in the development of leadership. In this sense, people know they can count on you. You do what you say you will do.
- YOU COMMUNICATE CLEARLY. Communicating well is essential for developing good leadership. You make complex ideas easy to understand. Additionally, you listen more than you speak.
- YOU CELEBRATE OTHERS’ SUCCESS. You encourage others and celebrate their successes. You genuinely enjoy seeing people win.
Regardless of your position or responsibility, you can be a leader. I end with a quote from Robin Sharma that perfectly summarizes the central idea of this post:
“Leadership is not a title or a position. Leadership is the ability of a person to influence and inspire others.”
