Actually, No.: Rethinking the Rules of Leadership

By: Brittany Teepe

Myth #2 – Leadership Comes with a Title

There’s something about a job title that can make leadership seem pretty straightforward. Get the promotion, earn the corner office (if those still exist), add “Director” or “Vice President” to your email signature, and congratulations! You’re officially a leader.

Right?

Actually, no.

A title can give you authority, decision-making power, and a place on the organizational chart. It can mean people are expected to listen when you speak, follow your direction, and take your feedback seriously. But there’s one small detail a job description can’t guarantee: whether people actually respect your leadership.

Because being in charge and being someone people look to for guidance are two very different things.

And confusing the two can create some interesting workplace dynamics.

The Title Says “Boss” – Now What?

Imagine two people working at the same company.

The first has an impressive title and a team that reports directly to them. When they make a decision, everyone follows instructions because, well, that’s what they’re supposed to do. Meetings are orderly, deadlines are met, and nobody is particularly eager to challenge their ideas.

The second person doesn’t manage anyone. They have no direct reports, no authority to approve budgets, and no special privileges when it comes to making decisions. But when a project gets complicated, colleagues seek their perspective. When a new employee needs help, they turn to this person. When the team is stuck, they’re often the one who helps everyone see a way forward.

So, which one is the leader?

If your answer is automatically the person with the fancy title, you should probably keep reading.

The first person has formal authority. The second demonstrates leadership through their actions and relationships. Ideally, of course, a person can do both. But a title alone doesn’t guarantee the skills, judgment, or credibility that make someone effective at leading others.

Leadership isn’t something that magically downloads when you get promoted. If only the onboarding process were that easy.

Authority Can Make People Listen. It Can’t Make Them Believe in You.

Let’s be fair: titles matter. Organizations need people who can make decisions, set expectations, allocate resources, and take responsibility for outcomes. Formal authority serves a purpose, and pretending otherwise isn’t particularly helpful.

The trouble starts when leaders assume their title should do all the heavy lifting.

A manager can tell an employee to complete a task. They can set a deadline, establish expectations, and hold that person accountable. But their title alone won’t make the employee feel understood, encourage them to speak up when something isn’t working, or convince them that their manager’s approach is the best one.

Those things depend on how the manager actually behaves.

Do they listen when someone raises a concern? Do they follow through on commitments? Are they willing to acknowledge when they’ve made a mistake? Do they treat people with respect even when a conversation gets uncomfortable?

These everyday interactions shape how people experience a leader far more than the words printed beneath their name on LinkedIn.

And here’s the catch: you can demand compliance because you’re the boss, but genuine respect is a different story. It develops through what people see you do, especially when doing the right thing is inconvenient.

Your title might get people into the meeting. What you do once they’re there is up to you.

You Don’t Need Direct Reports to Make a Difference

One of the most persistent assumptions about leadership is that it belongs to people at the top of the organizational chart. If you aren’t managing a team, approving decisions, or supervising employees, you might think leadership isn’t really part of your job yet.

But think about the people at work who influence how others approach their jobs.

Maybe it’s the colleague who notices when a teammate is overwhelmed and offers to help before anyone has to ask. Maybe it’s the person who raises a thoughtful question in a meeting that changes how everyone approaches a problem. Or maybe it’s the employee who welcomes new team members, shares what they’ve learned, and makes it easier for others to succeed.

None of these people needs a management title to have an impact.

They lead through their initiative, their judgment, their willingness to contribute, and the way they work with others. They may not have the authority to make the final decision, but they can still influence the conversation, help a team navigate a challenge, and make the workplace better for the people around them.

That matters because organizations don’t run on job titles alone. They rely on people at every level to notice problems, share ideas, take responsibility, and help move work forward.

Waiting for a promotion before you start demonstrating leadership is a little like waiting to get in shape until someone gives you a gym membership. The opportunity to start may already be right in front of you.

So, What Happens When the Title Goes Away?

Here’s another way to think about it.

If someone’s leadership depends entirely on their position, what happens when that position changes?

Maybe they will move to another department. Maybe they leave the organization. Maybe the company restructures, and suddenly, the title that once carried so much weight is no longer part of the picture.

Can they still influence others? Can they build relationships, earn trust, and help a group of people work toward a shared goal without relying on their authority?

Those questions reveal something important about leadership. Formal authority can give someone the opportunity to lead, but the ability to influence people extends beyond the role itself.

And this matters for organizations, too. When leadership is treated as something reserved exclusively for people with senior titles, companies can overlook valuable ideas, initiative, and talent from the very people doing the work.

They can also end up promoting employees because they’re excellent at their current jobs without considering whether they’re prepared to guide, develop, and support other people.

Being a great individual contributor and being an effective manager aren’t necessarily the same skill set. A promotion changes someone’s responsibilities; it doesn’t automatically equip them for every part of the new role.

Which brings us to an important question: Are we choosing people for leadership because they’ve demonstrated the ability to lead, or because their title is the next logical step on the career ladder?

Those aren’t always the same thing.

The Title Is a Starting Point, Not the Whole Story

None of this means titles are meaningless or that organizations don’t need formal leaders. They do. Someone has to make the tough calls, establish direction, and take responsibility when things don’t go according to plan.

But a title is best viewed as a position from which to lead, not proof that someone knows how to do it.

The same goes for anyone who doesn’t have a leadership title yet. You don’t have to wait until you’re managing a department to demonstrate initiative, influence a conversation, help a colleague, or take responsibility for making something better.

Leadership can happen in a meeting, during a difficult conversation, in the way you respond when something goes wrong, or in the decision to speak up when everyone else is staying quiet.

It isn’t limited to the person at the head of the table.

And if you’re already in a leadership position, it’s worth remembering that your title may explain why someone reports to you. It doesn’t tell the whole story of why they trust your judgment, value your perspective, or want to work with you.

Those things are built through your actions, not your email signature.

So, does leadership come with a title?

A title can give you authority. It can give you responsibility and the opportunity to lead.

But the title is the position. What you do with it is the leadership.