Leadership Has No Title

At what level of management do you become a leader?

It’s a trick question. There is no level of management that will make you a leader. Anyone at any level can become a leader. A leader is someone that inspires others towards a common goal. If you find an area of improvement and then work with those around you to solve that problem, you’re a leader. There is no problem too small for a leader. Here are the steps to solving a problem like a leader:

1. Identify a problem

   • Is there a part of your job that frustrates you and others?

2. Think of an idea to make it less of a problem

   • Is there a change you can make that will make it less frustrating? Of note, you don’t need to solve the problem, just think of a way to make it less of a problem.

3. Think of another idea to make it less of a problem

   • Yes, do it again. All problems have many solutions. You should prepare for someone to tell you a very valid reason why your proposal won’t work.

4. Critique your ideas

   • Make sure that your solution moves you in the direction that actually solves a problem. A stitch may hurt more to put in, but it will heal a deep wound better than a band-aid.

5. Know your stakeholders

   • Find everyone affected by your proposed changes. Talk to them and understand their perspective.

6. Create a sales strategy for your ideas

   • Understand the pain of the problem you are trying to solve.
   • Personalize your sales strategy to each individual stakeholder. Be prepared to explain to your teammates that your solution will ease that pain.

7. Tell your plan to anyone who will listen

   • It’s your job now to sell your vision to everyone who will listen.
   • Listen to their feedback. Think critically about their feedback. If it’s valid, incorporate it into your solution.

8. Start implementing

   • The more people that you have on board with your proposed solution, the easier it will be to put in place. You may even find that there is a critical mass that, once achieved, naturally brings about change.

In short, you don’t need permission to be a leader. There is no ceremony that makes a person a leader. It’s a decision that you make and a set of steps. As you practice those steps, you’ll get better at it. After you do this a few times, you’ll find yourself with plenty more leadership opportunities! Other leaders are always on the lookout for those with a willingness to lead. Those leaders are often in a position to give you more challenging opportunities.

I’ve put together a few potential problems to solve at your workplace. I’d recommend you give the steps above a try and see what the results are for you!

• Communication problems

  • How do you know when the users of your product are having problems?
  • How do you know if your customers actually like your new feature?
  • Does product get engineering feedback on their requests?
  • Does the business understand the technical capabilities of your technology?
  • Does the engineering organization have deep knowledge of the end users?

• Code quality

  • Does your team know if they’re writing good code?
  • Do you have a strategy for dealing with technical debt?

Written by Jonathan Hemnes who lives and works in Denver building useful things and serving great teams.