Leading When You Are Not The Boss

Taking charge when you are ‘outranked’ on the management ladder may appear a little daunting at first.

However, it gets easier when you realise that anyone can lead when the situation demands it - and the opportunity to lead is open to anyone; not just those formally in charge of a particular team or venture.

Indeed, leading when you are not the bossis something many employees happily do, every day.

The very act of stepping forward and demonstrating leadership contributes immense value to a project or enterprise – and also strengthens your leadership skills.

In her article on the Harvard Business Review’s ‘Leadership’ website, US leadership expert Christina Bielaszka-DuVernay outlines some of the steps employees can take to increase their leadership skills when they are not formally in charge.

Bielaszka-DuVernay quotes from Harvard negotiation specialist Roger Fisher and co-author Alan Sharp’s 2004 book: Lateral Leadership: Getting Things Done When You’re Not the Boss.

In the book, Fisher and Sharp put forward a five-point plan for ‘leading when you are not the boss’ - and these methods are applicable to almost any project you or your team are involved in.

To clarify, I have summarised the five steps below:

1.Establish goals

To achieve the best results, people need a clear set of objectives. Therefore, any group’s first priority should be to write down exactly what they hope to achieve. They do this by clarifying goals - with the person who takes the lead in discussing and drafting these goals automatically taking the leadership role.

2. Think systematically

An effective leader, whatever his or her position, learns to think systematically; by gathering and laying out the necessary data, analysing the causes of any situation, and proposing actions based on the outcomes. Good leaders are also able to help keep participants focused by asking appropriate questions, such as: ‘Do we have the information needed to correctly analyse this situation?’ Or: ‘Can we focus on finding out the causes of the problem at hand?’

3. Learn from experience – as it happens

Many teams plunge headfirst into a project - and then hold a review at the end to decide what they learned. It is however, much more effective for both teams and individuals to learn as they go along. An ongoing process is much more effective than an after-action review - because the events are still fresh in everyone’s mind. By holding regular ‘mini reviews’ - the team can also make ongoing adjustments to their work processes or goals.

4. Engage others

A high-performing team succeeds because it engages the efforts of every team member. And effective team leaders know how to find the best possible fit between members’ interests and the tasks at hand. A good tip is to write down a list of tasks and match them up with individuals or sub-groups. Should no one want a particular task - it may help to ‘brainstorm’ ways to make the task more interesting or challenging.

5. Provide feedback

Providing feedback to others when you are not the boss is essential. A good start is by offering simple appreciation - and telling people they did a great job. Other times you may be able to improve a staff member’s performance by coaching and offering thoughtful and respectful, suggestions for improvement.

To sum up, leading when you are not the boss is something almost anyone can do, in almost any position. And when done well, it can provide the organisation with immense value; and strengthen your leadership skills.