Welcome back. This month we're shifting into our leadership of others series. We've spent the last three months focusing on leadership of self - leading yourself, building your tribe, and growing your character. Now we're moving into something equally important but often overlooked: leading people one-on-one.

This is an aspect of leadership most leadership conversations miss. The assumption is that leadership is when you have a title of leadership over a company or group of people. And, yes, that is one part of leadership, but there’s a few skillsets to cultivate before that. Which brings me to our next three principles.

Over the next three months, we're going to cover three principles in leadership of others: influence (or the art of leading when you don’t have a title), leading people one on one, and legacy (the art of leading with the end in mind).

This month we're diving into influence - the art of leadership even without rank or title. These are honestly my favorite types of leaders. The ones who truly lead by serving others, filling a need without being asked and gaining authority through trust and service to others.

Let me tell you a story that perfectly captures what influence looks like in action.

I was working on a Habitat for Humanity project. Our team had been rebuilding a roof on a house for the entire week. It was Friday around lunch and we had one more afternoon to finish the roof. We had no idea how we were going to get it done and we really wanted to avoid leaving this sweet older woman's home without a finished roof.

We had a big problem. And to add on top of that, it was scorching hot - the deep, humid heat of summer in South Carolina.

So all in all, we had four hours left to finish a large portion of the roof. We were hot, tired and trying to rally to finish well.

Then . . .

my dad shows up just to stop by and see me and my sister and quickly finds out the problem we're facing.

He leaves for about 30 minutes. Then comes back and walks up to our site with a tool belt on, a cooler in one hand, and a nail gun in the other.

He gives my team the cooler with ice cold drinks, climbs up to the roof, and then starts going to town teaching me and two others how to use the nail gun to go ten times faster working as a team.

Did he have any rank or title on that project? No. But he came in, identified the problem, and took it upon himself to help us solve it. He didn't come in throwing out ideas or simply telling us what to do. He went and got a cooler of drinks and a nail gun and showed us how to do a roof ten times faster. And he worked right alongside us until the roof was 100% finished.

That. Is. Influence.

It’s leadership without being asked. It’s filling a need in a service type of way. Not a take-control-type of way. But more in a way of actually show up to be helpful, come alongside and get in the trenches with you - type of way.

Here's how I know he established influence: If we had to go do another roof, we would have given him the lead on that next project. We would have chosen to follow him. Once again, no rank, no title. Just trust - trust to take care of us, trust to work alongside us, trust to lead us to completing the mission in front of us, trust to empower us to accomplish something under his leadership.

This is what we’re going to focus on this month.

We’re going to make it practical.

We’re going to make it actionable.

You might be in a position on a team right now where you’re the underdog. The newest hire. The rookie. You are starting at ground zero. Amazing! I’m so glad you’re here. You don’t need to wait for a promotion to invest in your leadership!

Or perhaps you actually have a title, but lack real influence on your team.

Amazing! I’m so glad you’re here. You’re one of the few leaders who believes in investing in themselves as a leader.

So, wherever you land on the spectrum of titles or ranks, leadership is the gift of someone’s trust and willingness to follow you.

That is earned. Not forced.

Earned.

That’s why this influence month is so important.

We’re going to learn how to understand influence in a healthy way.

In other words, my hope is to rediscover the essence of influence and bring us back to healthy leadership.

When you lead with a focus of real influence, people don't follow you because they have to. They follow you because they want to. They trust you because you've proven you care about the mission and about them.

Over this month, we're going to dive deeper and get really practical about how to identify opportunities, how to build true influence, and how to build the kind of influence that creates lasting impact.

The world needs more

leaders who lead from influence, not authority.

Leaders who solve problems instead of creating them.

Leaders who show up with solutions, not just complaints.

And that’s going to be you!

On that note, welcome to influence month!