Last week I came across a great post by Elena Calvillo that really got me thinking.
You think you need permission to lead. You don’t. Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a choice you make every single day. Start now. Make the decision someone’s avoiding. Ask the question no one wants to ask. Lead from wherever you are.
Perhaps because of my background in power and organisational politics, I was drawn to her point about using titles as a source of influence:
Those who think their title gives them power rarely last long. Influence takes many forms, and relying on a title is perhaps the weakest of all. Well, apart from borrowing someone else’s title – that’s lame!
When I first began researching power over twenty years ago, it became clear just how many ways people build their ‘capacity to influence’. Ask a group in a workshop, ‘What is power?’ and you’ll quickly see how multi-faceted it really is.
But here’s what most people miss: however you choose to influence, there will be consequences. You need to be ready for those. And if your approach leans on force, manipulation, or half-truths, the relationship will eventually take the hit.
In my experience {and after coaching thousands over the years} it’s well worth investing in healthier ways to influence. Building trust, dependability, consistency, humility. They may not be the fastest routes to influence, but they’re the ones that last.
Titles and status certainly carry influence, but if that’s all you rely on, prepare for a fall.
Don’t forget to check out Elena on Substack – she’s doing some excellent work on leadership and product management.