Three Ways to Lead When You're Not in Charge

Many people mistakenly believe that in order to be a leader, you need a title.

After all, principals, lead teachers, directors, and superintendents hold positions of authority.Their jobs require them to inspire, motivate, and manage people every day. Since they are in charge of developing strategic plans and overseeing daily operations, most people acknowledge them as the leaders.

Have you ever wondered how they acquired their positions in the first place? Usually, the people who are promoted to positions of authority are selected because they are already doing the work of leadership in their schools.

To be selected for a leadership position, you must already be a leader.

The best schools and districts strive to develop leadership at all levels.

John Maxwell defines leadership in this way: “Leadership is influence; nothing more, nothing less.” According to Maxwell, your position is the lowest level of leadership. Your position means that your people follow you because they have to. If you raise your level of leadership, your people will follow you because they want to.

No matter your role, if you don’t work to increase your own leadership capacity, you simply won’t have a successful organization.

Here are three ways you can increase your own leadership, even when you’re not in charge.

Mentor others.

Whether you are the superintendent of a school district or a teacher’s assistant, you will be around people daily who are where you were at some point. They may never come out and ask for it, but they would benefit from your working with them.

Seek out opportunities to share your experiences, your expertise, your successes, and your failures. Come alongside people and help them to grow. These may be the very people that are your own team leaders later in your career.

Schools where I have worked do a pretty good job of pairing new teachers with experienced teachers in formal mentorships. Mentors and mentees meet periodically and turn in forms that show what they discuss.

Volunteering to mentor new teachers and teacher interns can be very useful for your school. Not only will you gain valuable experience coaching others, you’ll also stand out as someone who doesn’t mind taking on extra responsibilities.

Help your boss.

Everyone who works in a school has clearly defined job responsibilities. However, education is a helping profession, and educators are known for pitching in on special projects that occur throughout the school year. Of course you should aspire to excellence with your responsibilities, but leaders find ways to go beyond their roles to meet the needs of the organization.

Ask your boss if there’s a task or responsibility you can take off his or her plate. School leaders are busy, and there are always many great ideas that can’t be implemented because of limited time or resources. Be the person who steps up and implements some of these ideas.

Some leaders are wary of delegating important tasks, so you might consider asking your boss about problems that need to be solved. Then, brainstorm ways that you could help solve that problem. If you do solve that problem, you’ll become invaluable to the school. Just make sure to get approval before trying anything too innovative!

Level Up Your People Skills

Leadership requires strong people skills. Unfortunately, many school leaders are selected for leadership positions based on their ability to work hard independently, and they aren’t as skilled at leading teams and managing people. Teachers buckle down in their college classes to get an administrative degree and work independently to improve student performance in their classrooms, only to find that they weren’t prepared to lead teams when they step into administration.

A good start for improving your people skills is to genuinely care about people. Ask the people you come into contact with about their families and their interests outside of school. Form relationships with everyone, not just the people in your department or friend group.

Also, go ahead and get into the habit of adding value to others every day. Notice what would be helpful to others, and offer resources, advice, or encouragement. I have found great success in sending one encouraging text after school each day. This habit helps me to think through my day and to tell people that I notice what they do and that they matter to me and to the school.

What about you? What are some ways that you lead, even if you aren’t ultimately the one in charge of the organization?

Let me know in the comments below!