How to be a Leader Without a Title - Your Career Intel

How to be a Leader Without a Title - Your Career IntelIn my experience as a recruiter, I have learned that what makes a leader memorable and effective has everything to do with the person, not the position. Titles mean nothing. Regardless of whether youre an experienced senior manager or a fresh recruit, doing your job better than anyone else is one way you can lead without a title. Here are seven other ways to become a leader, right now.Make a great impressionBeing prepared for a job interview can help you make a good impression, but leaders often impress even when having to wing it. Thats because they are memorable. They possess iconic personality traits that platzset them apart as leaders in our culture. If any of these qualities describe youfriendly, interested, courageous, hard working, outgoing and helpfulyou can leverage them to ensure that you, too, are remembered when it counts.Be likablePeople dont hire you simply for your qualifications but because they like you and think youll fit well into their company culture or team. Being overbearing in an interview or a meeting can win you the battle but cost you the job or the respect of your peers. If you want people to look to you as a leader, be the kind of person they can like and respect.Take an interest in other peopleA leader can walk into any place and feel just at ease talking to someone in a discount store as at a country club. Inside and outside of work, leaders are comfortable interacting with all sorts of people, and people naturally gravitate to leaders. If you arent outgoing by nature, work on it by cultivating an interest in people and making yourself available to them. Developing this quality of expressed interest in others will open doors for you throughout your career.Be boldand work hardA leader is a model of self-sufficiency, possessing motivation and drive, as well as courage in the face of crisis. A leader can come into a new situation and learn on the job without handholding required. When you are given a task or concept, find the courage to run with it, and dont be afraid of making mistakes. Which leads me to my next piece of adviceOwn your mistakesEveryone makes them. But what makes a genuine leader is how you recover from them. Can you own your mistakes, set aside conflicts with coworkers, and move on from a bad situation? If you cant, youll lose. A leader sees the bigger picture, which includes showing people that you are willing to work through disagreements for the good of the team and the betterment of the company.Be transparentand a team playerNothing destroys team morale faster than self-interest and favoritismwhen you hold yourself or certain colleagues to a different standard than others. Leaders know the importance of transparency and relationship building. Live by the examples you set for everyone else, and they will respect you for the leader you are.Help out (even when no ones looking)Always be ready to help out, regardless of whether its your job or not. It may not be your responsibility to clean up the break room, for example, and you may not have made the mess, but lend a hand anyway. A willingness to help is a leadership quality you should cultivate in yourself, and the example you set will inspire it in others.What are your recommendations for being a leader? I welcome your ideas.