You Don’t Need a Title to Lead.

The stereotype I held on to leadership was that it requires a managerial role, making critical decisions and giving instructions to others. I had simply overlooked how people could make a difference without a leadership position until it was challenged during the lessons on Personal Leadership and Influence.

The difference between position power and personal power is that position power comes from organisational authority and responsibilities whereas personal power comes from expertise, effort, relationships and rightfulness. This prompted me to think about my time as an Account Manager and Digital Marketer. I frequently had to be the one to make suggestions while handling projects across various disciplines and provide feedback and motivate individuals to work together, yet I didn’t have direct control over everyone. It became clear to me that these activities were demanding leadership skills, including professional credibility, communication skills and leadership to impact decisions with evidence.

“Leadership doesn’t depend on the power itself, it is based on the trust we establish, the value we provide and the positive impact we generate.”

The Three R's model of influence (retribution, reciprocity and reason) also challenged my understanding of how professionals gain cooperation. Even the best ideas can fail to be accepted if relationships and timing or organisational priorities are overlooked. Therefore, it is important to rely on the influence backed by evidence and interpersonal consciousness. My key takeaway is that professional expertise is not invariably influential. The ability to articulate ideas are crucial such as listening to others' perspectives and developing trust. This reflection enabled me to understand leadership qualities that I aim to focus on including influencing without formal authority and evidence-based persuasion.

I aim to be more confident to contribute to strategic discussions and providing recommendations with the relevant evidence and constructive feedback. I'd also like to try to get input from colleagues as opposed to just trying to get them to agree with my ideas. My understanding of leadership no longer means you must reach a certain point in your career before you can be a leader. Leadership doesn’t depend on the power itself, it is based on the trust we establish, the value we provide and the positive impact we generate.