Leading without direct reports

In many respects, leading without direct reports is pure leadership. When you don’t have the ability to use position power as a way of getting things done, your only option is to use respect power; in other words, you have to use influence to achieve your goals. You have to get people to follow you because they want to and because they buy in to what you are trying to action or achieve, even if you do not manage anyone or direct a team.

So how do you go about leading without the authority of having direct reports?

Primarily, it is about managing relationships effectively, which encompasses networking, being politically savvy and skilful communication. ...

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