How to Lead When You're Not in Charge

Name: How to Lead When You're Not in Charge
Author: Clay Scroggins

Clay Scroggins

Lead from any position by building influence, mastering self-leadership, and creating meaningful value without relying on authority.

16 min6 Chapters

Listen to the intro

1:44

Business & Career

Personal Growth & Self-Help

Outline

What's it about?

How to Lead When You're Not in Charge (2017) shows how people can lead and make a difference even when they do not hold formal authority. Clay Scroggins explains how to lead oneself well, choose a positive attitude, think critically without becoming negative, and build influence through trust. The book encourages readers to develop leadership skills in whatever position they hold.

Key ideas

You can lead and make a real difference without holding a formal title or any authority over others.
Leading others starts with leading yourself well, so self-leadership comes before any attempt to influence a team.
Your attitude is a choice, and choosing a positive one shapes how others respond to you.
Thinking critically is useful, but it only helps when you avoid sliding into negativity.
Influence grows through trust, and trust is what lets people follow someone who is not in charge.

About the author

Clay Scroggins is an American pastor and author who writes and speaks about leadership. He has served as lead pastor at a large church in the Atlanta area. His other books include How to Lead in a World of Distraction.

Questions people ask

What is the main idea of How to Lead When You're Not in Charge?

Clay Scroggins argues that leadership does not depend on formal authority. You can lead from any position by leading yourself well, keeping a positive attitude and building influence through trust.

Who is How to Lead When You're Not in Charge for?

It is for anyone who wants to make a difference in their role without holding a position of authority, such as employees early in their careers or team members hoping to grow as leaders.

How long does the Durar summary of this book take?

The Durar summary takes about 15 minutes to read or listen to. It covers the book's core ideas on self-leadership, attitude, critical thinking and influence.