How to be a leader without the title

Picture this:

You’ve been in your chosen career for several years. You come to work each day and focus on getting the job done. Your colleagues value your contributions. Your boss gives you solid performance reviews.  Simply put, you know your stuff and you know it well. Yes, you’re being recognized for the fine job you are doing … but yet you’re stuck. You’ve so mastered your role that, well, you’re feeling a bit bored. The frustrating thing is you’ve got ideas that go beyond your current role that could be game-changers for your organization, but you just don’t see any avenue to share them. You don’t have a “seat” at the proverbial “table.” Yup, you’re stuck.

Sound familiar? Don’t fret, there is a path forward.

“Everyone needs the ability to lead and influence others today, regardless of their title,” says Shelley Robbins, PhD, senior faculty chair of masters programs in business at Capella University. “In today’s workplace, taking that sort of initiative is expected, and that’s a good thing. We all have so much to offer beyond our formal job descriptions. All of us need to be able to answer the question, ‘What kind of a leader am I, and how am living that?’”

So how do you demonstrate your innovative thinking and ideas without the formal title? How do you influence your colleagues at every level without being in the C-suite? Robbins offers the following three strategies to do just that:

Be an expert. Everyone has an area of expertise. But how crisply can you identify your core areas of expertise, and more importantly, effectively communicate them to your colleagues? Do those you work with truly know and appreciate the unique skills you have to offer?

“That’s the first step,” Robbins says. “We all need to show up and express informed opinions so that people understand our ideas and why they are important. You can’t be humble about your abilities. But it goes beyond that. In the current world of work, you also need to become a continual and agile learner, paying attention to new trends, new data, and new skills. Have you learned about different ways of doing your current job by attending conferences and webinars, or reading about what other companies are doing? How can you bring these new ideas to the table to support your organization’s success? That’s when you really begin to build credibility and position yourself as an influencer.”

Build relationships. It should go without saying that if you haven’t put in the effort to build close, trusted relationships with your colleagues—at every level—your ability to influence and lead is greatly diminished. As the old saying goes, it’s all about who you know, but more importantly, what they think of you.

“It may seem obvious, but get to know your co-workers on both a personal and professional level,” Robbins advises. “What do they need help with? Where might they be struggling? What are their strengths and corresponding weaknesses? Building those relationships and having that insight is a platform to influence and position yourself as a thought leader.”

Robbins adds that it is important to thoughtfully go outside your “comfort zone,” too.  Look beyond your own department and immediate colleagues. Reach out and build relationships with those people you may not normally interact with. If you are in HR, reach out to key contacts in marketing. If you are a new employee, invite the CFO to coffee. What’s the worst that could happen?

“That’s where the real learning and real influence happens,” Robbins adds. “To get things done, we have to broaden our perspectives. It’s fundamental to leadership.”

Communicate effectively. So, you know your areas of expertise and you’ve been diligent in building key relationships. That’s great. But if you can’t build off that foundation by persuasively and passionately communicating your ideas, your ability to influence will be greatly diminished.

“Every great leader and influencer at his or her heart is a great communicator,” Robbins concludes. “It’s not enough just to have great ideas, you have to sell them. You need to be able to clearly communicate the problem that needs to be solved or the opportunity at hand, and how your idea is the solution. This takes practice. This requires feedback. When you have a ‘million-dollar idea,’ you don’t want it to go to waste. It’s all about presence and confidence and the ability to communicate.”

Learn more about Capella University’s MBA program, which explores how everyone, no matter their title, can cultivate leadership skills.