It was a hot, sticky summer afternoon, and I found myself behind a lawnmower, sweating through my t-shirt as I worked on my neighbor’s yard. I was just a teenager with a small lawn-cutting business, but it felt like I had a big responsibility. The neighbor was elderly, and I knew this work meant something important to her—it gave her the peace of a neat yard, something she could no longer manage on her own. I wasn’t just trimming grass, I was helping her feel good about her home.
At the time, I didn’t think of it as leadership. I didn’t have a title, no one called me “manager” or “boss,” but I had a job to do and someone was counting on me. I wanted to make a difference, even if that difference seemed small. Now, looking back, I see how those early experiences taught me something crucial about leadership—it’s not about the title. It’s about taking action, making an impact, and serving others.
The Myth of Titles and Leadership
Too often, we equate leadership with having a formal title. We think that in order to lead, we need to have “manager,” “director,” or “executive” in our job description. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Leadership, at its core, is about influence, not authority. It’s about creating harmony in your environment, aligning efforts—whether you’re the CEO or someone behind the scenes making sure the gears keep turning.
Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how much power we each have to lead without a title, regardless of our official role. From mowing lawns to managing consulting projects, every job I’ve ever had taught me that leading is less about telling people what to do and more about figuring out what needs to be done and taking the initiative to make it happen.
Lead by Building Connections
Working at a grocery store as a teenager, I learned one of the most important lessons in leadership: the value of connections. Whether it was greeting a regular customer by name or working with my teammates to cover a shift, everything we did depended on building relationships. Even the smallest interactions mattered—customers would specifically ask for me to help them out to their cars. They knew I’d take care of their needs, not because I was told to, but because I genuinely wanted to make their experience better.
Connection is the foundation of any good leader. When you connect with people, you build trust. You become someone that others want to work with, someone they want to support. You create a sense of harmony, where everyone is willing to step in and help because they know you’d do the same for them.
Even without a formal title, you can make an enormous impact by building these connections. Whether it’s listening to your teammates, offering to help when someone is overwhelmed, or simply being a reliable presence, you set the tone for how people work together. You make it possible for the team to move in sync—and that’s leadership.
Overcoming Resistance as a Leader
Another lesson I learned—this time working as a deckhand—was how to handle resistance. There’s no shortage of resistance on a fishing boat, whether it’s the weather, the equipment, or even the people you’re working with. Resistance is inevitable. But instead of letting it stop you, you learn to use it, work through it, or find a way around it.
On the boat, I was responsible for a variety of tasks—from cleaning to baiting hooks. I often stepped in to help other deckhands when things got hectic. There were times when the workload was overwhelming, and we had to push through exhaustion to get the job done. Resistance was part of the experience, but instead of seeing it as a roadblock, we saw it as an opportunity to adapt, learn, and grow.
The same applies to any organization. There’s always resistance: deadlines, conflicting goals, misunderstandings. If you’re waiting for someone with a title to come in and fix everything, you’ll be waiting a long time. Instead, look at resistance as a chance to take initiative. Maybe it’s a conversation that needs to happen to clear the air. Maybe it’s stepping in to streamline a process that’s holding everyone back. Whatever it is, overcoming resistance means moving the team forward, and that’s leadership.
Creating Momentum Without a Title
Momentum is another key part of learning to lead without a title. I learned this early on in my professional career, working as an architect and consultant. Projects often have their ups and downs—there are moments of high energy when everything is moving fast, and times when progress grinds to a halt. I found that by adjusting my approach, I could influence the momentum.
If things were slow, I’d use that time to prepare—getting the details right, tying up loose ends, and making sure we were ready for the next big push. When things picked up, I’d look for opportunities to bundle tasks, to make progress on multiple fronts at once. By adapting to the situation, I could help the team stay on track and keep things moving in the right direction.
You don’t need a title to create momentum. You just need to pay attention to what’s happening around you and take action. If the team is stuck, look for ways to get things moving again—maybe it’s organizing a quick meeting to clear up confusion or finding a more efficient way to tackle a task. Small actions can have a big impact, and they often lead to the kind of progress that inspires others to do the same.
Harmonizing Efforts for Greater Impact
As I spent more time working professionally, I began to see the bigger picture. I noticed how my efforts could align with the goals of the organization, how I could help bridge the gap between what the leaders wanted and what the people on the ground needed to do. It was about creating harmony—aligning efforts from the head of the organization, to my boss, through my team, and then ultimately to the customer.
This is where the real power of leading without a title comes in. By understanding your role and how it fits into the broader context, you can make an impact that resonates far beyond your individual contributions. You can help ensure that everyone is moving in the same direction, that the team’s efforts are aligned, and that, together, you’re all working toward a common goal.
It’s not about stepping up to take control—it’s about understanding what needs to be done and finding ways to make it happen. It’s about creating an environment where everyone can contribute, where there’s a sense of flow and harmony, and where the team, as a whole, can succeed.
Challenging the Status Quo: Everyone Can Lead
The traditional view of leadership is all about titles and hierarchy. But what if we challenged that view? What if we saw leadership as something that anyone could take on, regardless of their role? From my experience, I’ve learned that the most effective leaders aren’t always the ones with the titles. They’re the ones who build connections, overcome resistance, create momentum, and bring people together in harmony.
You don’t need a formal title to make an impact. You don’t need a title to be the person who sees what needs to be done and takes action. Leadership is about understanding your context—knowing where you stand, what’s needed, and how you can contribute effectively.
Think back to that hot summer afternoon, behind a lawnmower, or wherever you first took on responsibility without anyone telling you to. That was leadership. It was about serving others, making a difference, and finding a way to create harmony. That’s what true leadership looks like—taking initiative where you are, using what you have, and bringing people together for the greater good.
So, if you’re waiting for a title before you start leading, stop waiting. The opportunity to lead is already in front of you. It’s in the connections you build, the resistance you overcome, the momentum you create, and the harmony you help shape. It’s not about stepping forward to take control—it’s about seeing what needs to be done and making it happen, for the benefit of everyone around you.
