#47 - Informal Leadership
Yesterday we talked a lot about leaders, managers, and types of power. At this point, you’re probably wondering what the takeaway is for your life. I know where you’re coming from—I don’t need random facts, I want to know how I can use this! So, today we’re going to talk about why you should even want to be a “leader” and how you can make that happen.
Why should I want to be a leader?
Are there benefits to being a leader? Of course there are. Everyone won’t become a CEO—not everyone wants to. And they shouldn’t. But the reality is that you are a leader as soon as you’re above average. You’re a leader of yourself, your life, and your pursuits. You’re a leader as soon as you commit to taking control of your life and stop being a passive observer. As soon as you set goals, you are a leader.
Beyond personal leadership, you will be put in a leadership position over others at some point in your life. It could be at work or church, as a parent, coach, volunteer, etc. Maybe you’re already a team captain, an older sibling, or a leader among your friends. Being an effective leader makes a tremendous difference in all of these situations. Maybe you’re a “natural leader.” If so, good for you—if not, no problem; you can improve your leadership skills with practice.
How can I be that leader?
The position power things we talked about don’t need much explanation. If you get put in a position of authority you have it and if not, then you don’t. The most important thing to remember is to not use your position power so much that people stop supporting you. You’ve probably had a captain like this at some point that seemed like they were just telling people what to do because they could, not because it was needed.
More importantly, we should discuss personal power. If you’re in a position of authority you should focus on personal power. If you’re not in a position of authority, you should still focus on personal power.
Expert Power – If you’re passionate about something, become an expert. Use that expertise—be confident in your knowledge and share it with others. You know you have some expert power when people ask for your advice or assistance. Developing your expert power not only helps you practice being an informal leader, it also helps you build confidence which will translate into other areas. It might seem like you have to start with something intense like astronomy or astrophysics—you don’t. Start with something you’re passionate about (your sport). Become an expert on nutrition, recovery, training methods, strength training, game strategy, ball handling, start with anything.
When I was a kid, I became an expert on survival. I read countless books, watched movies, prepared survival packs, and practiced building shelters in the woods. Thankfully I’ve never been stranded on a remote island, but the best thing I took away from that temporary obsession was not the knowledge but the confidence and I learned how to become an expert (study, read, practice, repeat). Start with something and you will reap the benefits for the rest of your life.
Referent Power – When I think about referent power, I think about the people I admire and the person I want to be. If I am not the person that I would want as a leader, how could I expect others to want me as a leader? Gaining referent power is difficult because it means being a leader that is consistent, fair, inspiring, and concerned about the group as a whole. The first step on the road to being a referent leader is to make changes in your own life to be the person you would follow. Of course, that’s easier said than done but Advancing Daily as a whole gives you the tools to make difficult changes.
There is an unbelievable amount of information available on leadership but if you want to learn more, I would recommend the following books:
Strengths Based Leadership
Good to Great
Boomerang! Leadership Principles That Bring the Customer Back
Extreme Ownership
The Truth About Leadership