We can lead or influence with or without a management title. There can be challenges to this though. Talking through different scenarios and approaches to leading and influencing can help think through opportunities.

SCENARIOS
Review these scenarios and see where leadership and influence can still occur even if not in a management position. Follow up questions are under each scenario to talk through.

SCENARIO #1
You are part of a team project. There are four individuals in the group. One team member you can tell is attempting to do their fair share but is falling short. They tend to be late to meetings and their work submissions. They apologize and are a friendly team member but this is adding strain to the project and other individuals partaking.

• What can you do in this situation that doesn’t involve going to a leader in management?
• What is something proactive you can do with the individual?
• Do you think you should get involved more with this situation or let it be?
• How can you hold them accountable?

SCENARIO #2
A team member tends to be really negative. This can be during one on one or team meetings or when in the office at their desk. You aren’t sure what’s going on but the negativity can be draining.

• What can you do in this situation that doesn’t involve going to a leader in management?
• What is something proactive you can do with the individual?
• Do you think you should get involved more with this situation or let it be?

SCENARIO #3
Your colleague that is on the same team as you is making mistakes with their individual work. You have overheard this from others in the office and the team member has confided with you about things their leader has said to them regarding their mistakes.

• What can you do in this situation that doesn’t involve going to a leader in management?
• What is something proactive you can do with the individual?
• Do you think you should get involved more with this situation or let it be?

FINAL THOUGHTS
Share any final thoughts related to the scenarios or topic overall that you’d like to discuss. If you and your team want to dive further into this topic, you can discuss the questions below.

• How difficult do you find it to lead or influence without being in a management position?
• Do you want the responsibility of leading and influencing, even if you aren’t in a management position?
• Do you find frustrations with individuals who aren’t seeming to balance leading and influencing while not being in a management role? Where they seemed to have taken on a management title without truly having it. How do you think this could be balanced back out?
• What support would help you from your leaders in management related to this topic?

For more information about this material, email kmcclain@praeliscere.com or visit https://praeliscere.com/. Copyright Kathryn McClain.

We can lead or influence with or without a management title. There can be challenges to this though. Talking through different scenarios and approaches to leading and influencing can help think through opportunities.