Have You Been Overlooking Your Own Leadership?

Out of all the things I expected to hear from a senior leader, this was not on the list. I was stunned when a senior leader said they had no leadership experience. This happened during a coaching event, which made the moment even more surprising. The leader explained that they had never been in a supervisory position, which made it difficult to articulate leadership examples in interviews. Curious, I asked whether they had ever led projects with teams. They nodded without hesitation. I couldn’t contain my surprise and blurted out, “That’s leadership right there!” The reality is leadership experience does not have to come wrapped in a neat supervisory role package.

Own Your Leadership Story Without a Title

We tend to box leadership into a very specific definition that involves direct reports and formal authority. This narrow view causes many capable people to overlook their own accomplishments that demonstrate clear leadership qualities. If you have ever influenced a decision, guided a project to completion, or mentored a colleague, congratulations! You’re a leader. Let’s talk about how to recognize and articulate that experience.

• Guiding outcomes without formal authority. You’ve led even when no one handed you the title. Think about the last time you pulled a team together to solve a problem, steered a conversation toward a better decision, or got people aligned when the room was drifting. Maybe you took the lead on a cross-functional initiative or convinced stakeholders to adopt a new process. That’s leadership, even if you don’t approve their timecards. Start capturing those moments. They reveal how you show up when authority isn’t guaranteed.
• Influencing decisions. Have you ever changed someone’s mind about a strategy? Convinced leadership to fund an initiative? Built consensus among stakeholders who started miles apart? That’s influence, and influence is the currency of leadership. In fact, I’d argue that influencing without authority is the purest form of leadership because you can’t fall back on “because I’m the boss.” Start documenting those moments when your ideas moved the needle.
• Developing others. Think about the colleague you coached through a tough task, the new hire you took under your wing, or the teammate who walked away better because you invested in them. That’s leadership, too. When you invest time in growing the capabilities of others, you are shaping the culture and capacity of your organization. Capture those stories. They show the kind of leader you already are.

Leadership experience doesn’t require a title or a team reporting to you. It requires impact, influence and the ability to move people and projects forward. So the next time someone asks about your leadership experience, don’t hesitate. You’ve been leading all along. Now just tell that story with the confidence it deserves.

Adeline (Addy) Maissonet is a senior advisor on contracting policies and procedures within the Office of the Secretary of War, U.S. Department of War (DoW) and the agency’s representative on the Department’s views on proposed legislation to Congressional members, their staff, and committee staffers. She leads the development and implementation of Department-wide procurement policies for commodities and services, within her portfolio. Prior to her current role, Addy served as a Division Chief and Contracting Officer with unlimited warrant authority for the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, Virginia. Prior to joining the MICC, Addy served as a Branch Head for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), Norfolk, Virginia, with unlimited warrant authority. She also held other procurement positions with the U.S. Navy. Addy holds an MBA in Management and Contracting Level III Certification under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act. She is a graduate from Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Certificate Program and Harvard University’s Business Analytics Certificate Program. In her free time, Addy enjoys hiking and overlanding with her family and friends.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of War.

Image by Mario Aranda from Pixabay