Leadership for Non-Bosses – Getting Things Done Without Pulling Rank
By Paula Gamonal, Ravenwerks.com

You're accountable for getting a project done, and you need assistance and cooperation from a number of people. There is a gap, however, between your responsibility and your authority level. Maybe you aren't high enough on the totem pole to tell people what to do, or maybe even if you are, command and control is just not your style. How do you get buy-in, cooperation and assistance from people who don't report to you?

People forget that leadership is, first and foremost, a service. If you are not a person that fulfills a need for the people you lead, then you have no business being a leader, regardless of your rank in the company. In short, your job is to help THEM be successful, even more than it is their job to help you succeed.

Steps to take
1. Forget positions. Focus on your objective, your message, what you need that person to do, and why.
 
2. Don't give orders. Outline what is needed, and ASK for that person's help and cooperation. Ask them how they could contribute.

3. Ask questions. Many times you can lead without seeming to by asking the right questions in the right context, and letting someone else take the stage.

4. Involve everyone in planning sessions. Start with a list of tasks you know need to be done. Ask everyone's input in adding to and refining the list. Then ask everyone to volunteer for the tasks that are the most interesting to him or her. There will always be some tasks left over that nobody wants – brainstorm ways to make these more interesting, less cumbersome, or to divide them fairly among the group.

5. Stroke egos. There is nothing more flattering than being asked for an opinion or for help. If you need a person's help, assistance or support for a project, say so; and tell them why.

6. Focus forward, not behind. What do you do when someone who doesn't work for you does something wrong, or something that doesn't meet your expectations? Whether or not a person works for you, positive feedback works much better than negative. Again, be very personal, and as positive as possible.

7. Share kudos. When you're congratulated on your phenomenally successful project, be sure to mention the people who helped you. Include their bosses.

Being able to master leadership techniques that work regardless of rank behooves everyone, from the CEO to the entry-level newcomer. Even if you occupy the top of the organizational chart, your projects and initiatives will be much more successful and your people will be happier, more accountable, creative, and productive if you follow these concepts rather than “pulling rank” to get things done.

For full article, go online to http://www.ravenwerks.com/leadership/nonbosses.htm