Why You Don't Need a Title to Lead
Many times I’ve heard people say they need a title and a seat at the table before they can step up and lead. Those conversations usually start like this, “If I try and lead without the title, I will only be met with resistance and will gain no respect from the people around me.”
This is only true if you see leadership as a means to assert dominance.
If this is honestly how you feel, then your heart towards leadership might need an overhaul. The truth is, if you view leadership as an invitation to selflessly put the success of others above yours, no matter how much it costs you or inconveniences you, then you’re ready right where you are. You can lead from anywhere in the chain of command and you’ll organically garner the respect of those around you.
There will be a lot of putting your own agenda aside, stuffing your ego, and making yourself the least important. But the truth is, nobody needs a title to help others, which is the essence of true leadership.
It’s a paradoxical reality that gives the highest promotions to those that lower themselves the most.