How to Lead When You're Not in Charge

by Clay Scroggins

  Paul is in chains, imprisoned without good reason. Yet he maintains a deep belief that God is going to deliver him one way or another. Paul’s remarkable trust in God’s provision informed his view. And that means when the circumstances of your job feel shaky, trusting in God will help to stabilize you as well. There is a confidence that comes from believing that God has you where he wants you. Throughout history, God has put specific people into particular positions for definitive reasons. And he has you where he wants you.

  But notice that it wasn’t just a deep trust in God that affected Paul’s outlook. Being convinced that God was up to something greater than the circumstances in front of him provided a spirit of expectancy and hopefulness that allowed Paul to maintain a sense of positivity. He said, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (Phil. 1:20, emphasis mine).

  Hope is a confident expectation of something good to come. The basis of our Christian faith is that our God is a God who is always able, always moving, and always working on our behalf. Even when it feels like he’s silent, he’s never distant. Even when it feels like it’s over, hope allows us to trust because of what we believe about our God. The resurrection of Jesus is the most poignant, powerful, and perfect picture of hope I can imagine. If forgiveness and death are the two greatest enemies we face, the resurrection provides victory over both. As followers of Jesus, we should be the most hope-filled people on the planet.

  Paul was ever hope-filled. The resurrection provided him with the basis for his calling and purpose on earth. Any suffering he faced was worthwhile in his mind because of the hope he had that God could use it. Hope moved Paul to choose a positive outlook in suffering and in success, in poverty and in riches, in sickness and in health.

  Trust in God and hope for the future are the legs you and I stand on. If we have a God who is able to provide in life or in death and a God who is able to restore, heal, and use circumstances in this life and the next, what could we ever face that would undo what he’s done? Those two truths are heavy enough to be counterweights to lift our perspective on anything.

  WHAT DOES YOUR VIEW PRODUCE?

  When these powerful truths become the foundation for how you see, you can do the inconceivable. You can choose positivity. This is not just positive thinking, a self-delusion that ignores reality. It’s based on a different perspective of your reality, a panoptic view of your circumstances. Trust-fueled, hope-filled, forward-thinking people can push through anything that gets in the way because their eyes are fixed on more than what’s directly in front of them.

  And it is a choice—one you can make today! This positivity is not just a personality trait. Positivity is a character trait. Personality refers to our inherent bent, much of which is predetermined. But character is developed over time. And more often than not, character is developed when things are difficult. The lunchroom doesn’t develop muscle; the weight room develops muscle. And you’ll find that the hardest time to choose positivity is when you’re handed a decision you didn’t make and might not like.

  You have to teach the outline you didn’t create.

  You have to manage the volunteer process you didn’t come up with.

  You have to make the announcement about the event you would’ve never attended.

  In Patrick Lencioni’s book The Advantage,5 he argues that people are more likely to buy in when they’ve had the opportunity to weigh in. But that doesn’t always happen, does it? When the team is small enough for you to weigh in on all the decisions, it’s easy to buy into the decision that’s made. But it’s challenging to choose positivity when you are asked to buy into an opportunity you didn’t weigh in on. No one asked your opinion; they just made a decision. Worse, you weren’t even invited to the meeting! I used to think that the higher up I moved in the organization, the less my feelings would be hurt when I wasn’t invited to a meeting. Wrong! The higher up I move, the more my feelings are hurt when I’m not invited to a meeting. And it’s even worse when they make a decision in the meeting and then ask me to execute it. Seriously? And on top of that, I find myself thinking the decision they’ve made is terrible!

  When I’m not part of the decision-making process, my default response is to check out, to abdicate my opportunity to lead. When I’m handed a decision I think is dumb or wrong or less-than-best, my default is to sit back and throw my hands up. I think, Since this is clearly not going to work, I’ll just sit back and let them see how bad this idea really is. If they wanted this to work, they would’ve invited me to the meeting, and I would’ve given them an idea that would have been great. Instead, I’ll just sit back and watch this train wreck happen. That kind of rotten attitude doesn’t win in leadership. It won’t make you a better leader either. It’s the easy way out. Instead, you can choose positivity—even when you didn’t have a say in the decision. More important than making the right decision is owning the decision handed to you and making it right. Positivity will help you with this.

  Why do positive people make good leaders? Because positivity is attractive and produces other qualities in leaders that are naturally attractive to others. Leaders who exude positivity will begin to see their influence grow. Below are some of the by-products of a broader perspective.

  Energy in Your Attitude

  I’m not sure there is anything directly under my control that can have a more powerful impact on others than the attitude I choose. The greatest benefit I bring my team is not my talents, gifts, experience, or education. It’s my energy.

  Leaders who bring a trust-fueled, hope-filled, forward-thinking attitude every day can change any team dynamic. And you don’t have to be the senior pastor or a CEO. You can pack this attitude in your lunch box tomorrow, and it has the potential to change the climate of your workplace. You might be an invisible intern with no authority or a mid-level manager who feels stuck, but if you choose to bring the attitude of a 100-watt bulb, you’ll start seeing things light up. You can’t just try this once, though. And that’s where it becomes a discipline you cultivate. This needs to be the attitude you choose daily, like a mail carrier. Come rain, hail, sleet, snow, or sun, you determine that you will have an attitude of positivity, regardless of the circumstances.

  Humility Toward Those in Authority

  You are not ready for your boss’s job. Why would I say that? Because you’re not in your boss’s job. If you unpack what Paul says in Romans 13:1, he, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, makes it pretty clear: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (emphasis mine). This is a pretty weighty thing to think about. It’s God, not man, who ultimately establishes authority. If someone is in charge, God has a reason. Now before you offer me thirty objections to this, I will admit that none of us can fully understand how that works. Do we have free will? Yes. The Bible is clear that we make our own choices and we’re held responsible for them. But we are also told that if someone is in a position of authority, God had something to do with it. At the very least, this passage means God has established the system of how humans work through authority, and working against that system means working against God.

  Let me be clear, though, because this passage would seem to imply and even encourage a passive acceptance of the status quo. I don’t think that’s what Paul had in mind. We know this because of the context in which he is writing. This was a tense time for Paul. He was working tirelessly for progress. Knowing that God is the ultimate authority isn’t something Paul tells the church in order to encourage passivity. He shares this truth to encourage them to have a risk-taking faith that follows God, stands for the truth, and pursues God’s kingdom agenda. But Paul doesn’t want Christians to think that authority is a bad thing in and of itself. God has a purpose for the structures of power that exist in this world
, and though they will not last forever, we can trust God is at work through them and in them. Even in your organization. Even through that boss you don’t like very much. This should also encourage us to pray. Because if you don’t have the authority you would like to have, one of the best ways to change that is to take it up with God.

  What Romans 13:1 tells me is that if I’m frustrated with the job I don’t have, maybe I still have work to do. If you think you should be promoted and you haven’t been promoted yet, perhaps there’s still some growth God has planned for you. When you’re ready and when the time is right, God may lift you up. Or he may take you down a different path. You can get mad, or you can get busy getting better. You get to choose. A deep trust in God and a persistent hope for the future will push you to keep growing and learning because you believe God is getting you ready for something he will lift you into. Until he does, you’re not quite ready. This kind of humility allows me to keep working on my craft, knowing that when I’m ready, my time will come.

  Unity with Your Associates

  Do you remember those birds in Finding Nemo? They get me every time. As they fight for what’s on the ground, they are flying around screaming, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” Never has Disney nailed a picture of the selfish human condition better than in that little scene. Sadly, we do the same thing. Our tendency is to fly around screaming, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” We do that with our ideas, our projects, our ministries, and our roles. Choosing positivity forces us to recognize that whatever we have has been given to us as gifts to develop. That tends to work against our selfish pride. You’ll find you are more willing to take your ideas, lay them down, and partner up with others so that you can all get behind the same plan.

  The panoptic view fights for we over me. The panoptic view tells us that we’re better together than we are apart. Choosing positivity produces collective results greater than if we were each pushing our own agenda.

  THE FINAL LIFT

  My favorite condescending question on planet earth is, “Do you even lift, bro?” Anytime a friend of mine tries to challenge me about anything, that’s my go-to response. This sarcastic little question probably started in weightlifting circles as a way to aggravate that guy posing as a fitness expert. And if you’ll allow me, I think there’s a spiritual axiom for us wrapped up in this silly question.

  Who does the lifting for your career? Think about where you are today. How did you get there? In every story, there are people involved who were instrumental in lifting us up, giving us a leg up. Parents, teachers, coaches, friends—we all have people who have been key in our advancement. Obviously, we must do a great deal of that lifting ourselves. You absolutely have something to do with where you are today, but you and I know that, ultimately, we aren’t the ones doing the heavy lifting. There is someone else behind every story—the one who actually has the most influence on the situation. The one who is the hero behind the star. Our Creator and heavenly Father plays that role. He’s the one who puts people on stages, turns the spotlight on, and gives them the microphone. He’s the one who hands the gavel to the judge, the whistle to the coach, and the touchscreen plasma to the teacher.

  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). This little verse is so simple and it assigns two roles quite clearly. So let me ask you again. “Do you even lift, bro?” When it comes down to it, you don’t. God does the lifting. We need to do the humbling. God picks people up. We need to keep our heads down and work hard. Followers of Christ know that we are who we are and are where we are today because of God. Because God’s mighty hand is strong enough to lift any of us up out of any circumstance, we can trust him and we can have hope for the future.

  No one knows “due time” like God does. Too many of us think “due time” means “right after we pray.”

  “God, it’s Monday. I’ve been in this job for six whole months now and I haven’t been promoted. If I don’t hear something from my boss by Friday, I’m going to start looking for another job. I’m due for that promotion!”

  Keep in mind that you and I are the same people who burn our mouths on Hot Pockets. Maybe we’re not the best judges of our “due times.”

  A few years ago, I watched a documentary called Muscle Shoals.6 This northern Alabama town, with a population of around 13,000, is plagued with poverty and racial hostility. But in this forgotten town, a guy named Rick Hall founded FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises), which has produced some of the most influential music of the last fifty years. Take a look at the artists that have recorded in Muscle Shoals: Etta James, Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, and Donny Osmond. And that’s just the short list.

  Since I grew up in Alabama, I had heard of Muscle Shoals. I had driven through this small town located on the banks of the Tennessee River a time or two, but I had no clue as to the level of musical genius that had recorded there. Because of the egalitarian and racially inclusive culture created at FAME, this tiny town—hardly even on the map—has become one of the top recording destinations in the world. Watching the documentary, I realized: If you are creating something great, your time will come. And if your time hasn’t come yet, keep working to create something great.

  I’ve had many days where I’ve thought, I don’t think my bosses see what I can really do. But instead of allowing that thought to take me down the path of pride and bitterness, I’ve tried to stay low, humble, and hungry. If your bosses haven’t noticed your contributions yet, you’re welcome to get mad and frustrated. You’re welcome to point your finger and blame the one you think is keeping something from you. But I don’t think that will help you grow as a leader. It might feel good for a moment, but over the long haul, it may actually work against you. I think a better option is to trust God and have patience. Focus on cultivating the panoptic view and waiting for the opportunities God will provide. You can take all the energy you’re using to be mad or frustrated and use it to improve. Channel that energy toward hard work. Maybe, if your skills have not been noticed, it’s because your skills have not been developed like they need to be.

  As you begin to see your job, your calling, and your life as God wants you to see them, with the big picture in mind, it will help lessen the frustration that can destroy you—and the team you work on. And as you begin to see your life with the big picture in mind, you’ll be better able to choose the positivity God wants you to have.

  CHAPTER 6

  THINK CRITICALLY

  Maybe you are one of those people who, after finishing the previous chapter, feels a little sick at the idea of being positive all the time. You are wired to be a realist. And you know that positivity alone—all the time—will drive you and the people you work with crazy. I have good news for you. I agree. That’s why positivity doesn’t stand alone. We need to couple it with the skill of thinking critically. Learning how to exercise the skill of thinking critically for the good of others is essential to leading when you’re not in charge.

  THE RAINBOW-PUKING UNICORN

  Fill in the blank on this one. There are two kinds of personalities in the world: positive and ______.

  If you put the word “negative” in the blank, you’re not entirely wrong. You’re just mislabeling people. I’ve come to believe there aren’t “negative” people in the world. What I mean is that most people won’t willingly self-identify as “negative.” When you ask these people what they are, they will tell you they are just “realistic.” I love that word.

  It’s an interesting fact of life that I can’t prove but believe is true—positive personalities typically marry realists. For some reason, that positive person is just naturally attracted to that realist . . . and vice versa. Maybe they each recognize they need the other to survive the challenges of raising children. I know Jenny and I are well suited for each other in this way. I’m just naturally a positive person. It’s a strength and a weakness. It provides me resiliency and helps me push through difficult situations,
but it can also make me fairly naive to challenges ahead. I’m guilty at over promising and under delivering. “Oh, hey babe. Yeah, I’m almost done. I should be home in twenty minutes.” Jenny has learned that’s code for “I’ll see you in an hour.”

  Over the past few years, I’ve been creating a list of criteria for the consummate leader who leverages influence and not authority to get stuff done. I’ve noticed that choosing the panoptic view is massively important. Leaders need to cultivate a positive vision in those they lead. And they need to see that vision for themselves. But a positive perspective alone can be dangerous if it’s not coupled with what we talk about in this chapter.

  Most people are slightly nauseated by overly positive people. I know that’s how I feel, even though I’m a generally positive person. I’m immediately skeptical about people who constantly speak to me in emphatic and optimistic terms.

  “Sunday was the best ever!”

  “That sermon was the greatest sermon I’ve ever heard in this church.”

  “I’ve never had a more powerful worship moment.”

  Really? The best ever? In your entire life, this is the most powerful experience of worship you’ve ever had? Maybe that’s true, but when someone says that every other week, I tend to not take them seriously. Despite what the minifigures in The LEGO Movie try to sell us, everything is not always awesome. If you believe you’re stuck in denial, I’d suggest you marry a realist.

  A few years ago, we launched a service at our church that was designed for twenty-somethings. It has been a huge wind of momentum for us. We were trying to make sure that any twenty-four-year-old professional living in our community had a place to belong and a place where he or she could invite an unchurched friend. We started doing all the research we could on what the future of the church would look like by talking to everyone we knew under the age of thirty. Because I was spending so much time on this, people inside and outside our organization started forwarding me any article with the word “millennial” in the title. As a side note, if I were a millennial, and I’m barely not a millennial, I would be very sick of people writing articles about me. Let’s just say my inbox was flooded.