If you were to look behind you, would you see anyone? As a leader, this is a question I ask myself each day and if the answer is ever no, I ask myself why?

 

There is a popular misconception about leadership that it starts with a title. I can honestly say, your title does not dictate or influence your ability to lead. For those that are convinced they need a title to lead, I can assure you there are more important things you can work on to develop yourself as a leader. First, let’s explore the differences between having a title and actually exemplifying leadership.

Title vs. Actions

The definition of leadership is the action of leading a group of people or an organization. Those that have a leadership title can be called leaders on paper, but in order to truly be a leader, you must be able to influence a group of people through your actions. Leadership starts with action and requires the capacity to lead. A title does not give you either of those things. Success with a title can be seen as immediate success but will not yield positive or genuine results. An example of this would be an external manager hire. 

An external manager hire entering an organization will see a varying amount of responses from the team they will be in charge of. From a title perspective, the team can rely on previous or existing leadership to determine the qualifications of an external hire. A CFO would not be hired if they had no previous finance knowledge, right? Even though the title may give your team an immediate understanding of you as far as rank and responsibility, it still requires actions to support this. 

Although some people may immediately follow you based on title, in order to create a sustainable movement, you need to earn the trust of your team. Trust is earned by the actions you take each day. Actions can be as simple as saying hello to everyone when you come in each day or helping them learn something new within the business. These actions show your team that you care about them and you are there to support them with whatever they need to be successful. Keep in mind, trust is built over time, so don’t get frustrated if you don’t see immediate results. Start small and grow your influence and trust from there.

Conclusion

Actions speak louder than any title you can have within an organization. Whether you are a manager or an entry level associate, your actions define who you are to your team. If being a leader is your goal, start with learning about your team. The more you learn, the better you can utilize your skills to help support. This continued support will allow you to continue to earn trust and build your following. Don’t forget, look behind you once in a while… Who do you see?