Do you want to lead at work but don’t have a title or a team? Good news: you don’t need either.
Influence doesn’t require authority. Some of the most impactful leaders earn results long before they hold a formal title. Case in point: informal leadership drives group efficacy, boosts productivity and strengthens team relationships.
The key is creating impact from your current seat—showing initiative, building trust and driving results others can’t ignore.
Why Leading Without Power Matters
Today’s workplaces are anything but top-down. In fact, 84% of employees now work in a matrixed environment where they report to multiple managers, work cross-functionally and collaborate across teams that cut through traditional hierarchies.
Instead of one clear “boss” holding all the authority, decision-making is now distributed, and expertise carries more weight than holding a leadership role. Skills-first mindsets are increasingly defining today’s workplace: 87% of professionals say skills like adaptability, leadership and communications are more important than ever. That’s proof: a flashy role no longer guarantees power—but your knowledge just might.
Core Tactics
To extend your influence beyond your role, take a few strategic steps:
Build your relationship capital.
Only 21% of U.S. employees strongly agree they trust their workplace leadership. That presents an opportunity: without a formal title, colleagues may actually find it easier to trust you because you’re on their level.
Lean into that advantage by being approachable and proactive. Ask about a teammate’s weekend, suggest grabbing lunch or simply check in between meetings. Go a step further by mentally logging any projects your colleagues are juggling or the challenges they’ve mentioned. Following up thoughtfully—but not intrusively—shows you’re paying attention.
Over time, these small acts compound into trust, influence and relationships that make work more enjoyable.
Strategic thinkers stand out because they don’t just solve problems in a vacuum—they connect their work to their company’s broader mission. In fact, strategic thinking outpaced communication, innovation and execution as the most powerful predictor of the perception of leadership effectiveness.
When you pitch an idea, link it directly to a business priority. Doing so signals long-term thinking, positions you as someone who sees the bigger picture and makes it easier for leaders to say “yes.”
Make yourself visible by working cross-functionally.
Partnering with teams beyond your own not only builds relationships but also broadens your visibility. It’s an opportunity to showcase your knowledge and skills to a wider audience. When cross-team projects arise, raise your hand. Visibility and impact often come from stepping outside your lane.
Use these opportunities to build meaningful relationships that extend beyond the bounds of your project work. Efforts like these don’t just strengthen collaboration—they build a reputation that will carry across your company.
Ask smart questions.
The right question, asked at the right time, can shape decisions without dictating them. Try framing your questions like:
- How does this align with our broader goals?
- What does success look like six months from now?
- What challenges should we anticipate early so we can address them proactively?
With 92% of employees crediting curiosity and question-asking as catalysts for innovation and high performance, inquiry positions you as a strategic thinker and invites others into the dialogue. That combination builds both trust and influence.
Engage in peer mentorship.
Chances are, there’s something a colleague admires in you that they’d love to learn, and just as likely, you have skills and perspective to gain from them.
Create intentional space for that exchange: schedule a regular lunch with a peer or two to share insights, swap experiences and build each other up. Mentorship doesn’t have to be top-down—it’s about mutual growth. Bonus: mentoring is a proven and effective way to increase job satisfaction—90% of employees who have a mentor report being happier at work.
Host a lunch and learn.
You already bring knowledge to the table, but it’s time to share it. Volunteer to lead a session on a skill or insight you’ve mastered, whether it’s for your team or the broader organization. If your company doesn’t have a lunch and learn program, create one. Leaders don’t wait for permission—they find opportunities to establish a platform.
Taking these steps doesn’t just benefit your organization—it establishes you as a forward-thinking and influential leader, regardless of your title.
Pitfalls to Avoid
While stepping up is essential to extending your leadership reach, avoid these missteps if you want to grow your influence without losing the trust of your colleagues.
Don’t overstep your boundaries.
Stretching into cross-functional teams is critical for visibility and growth—but overstepping can quickly backfire. Avoid:
- Jumping in without being asked
- Talking out of turn
- Taking over the project
- Taking personal credit over crediting the team
- Going over your boss’s head when you know that might ruffle feathers
Use sound judgment and people skills to strike the right balance between contributing and overshadowing. That kind of self-awareness is what earns respect.
Don’t perform for recognition instead of impact.
Visibility is important, but recognition should be the byproduct—not the goal. Colleagues and leaders can differentiate between someone chasing credit and someone driving results. Anchor your actions in impact, and recognition will follow naturally.
If you approach your path to leadership with a genuine commitment to helping the team succeed—and the skills to back it up—you’ll position yourself for lasting influence in the office.
Leadership isn’t about the official role you hold. It’s about the impact you create. You have the power to shape others’ impressions of you.
Trust, courage and impact are available at every level. Show your skills now, and you won’t just earn leadership—you’ll embody it. And later, if you do want the official title, it’ll be yours for the taking.
A version of this article appeared on forbes.com, posted on September 8, 2025
EXPERD, Human Resources Consultant, Jakarta – Indonesia