A Leadership Reflection on Influence Without Title, Breaking Limiting Beliefs, and Serving Beyond Self
Anchoring the Season
The days of a term break pass quickly. One moment you are counting down to it, and the next you are halfway through, wondering how to fit all your plans into what remains. This season began on 30 June, the day my daughter was born. One and a half months have already passed. Two more months will bring another new season.
I have learned that life, like leadership, moves in seasons. Every season needs an anchor. Without one, focus scatters and the noise of many priorities drowns out what matters most.
This term break, my anchor is clear: meet people. Out of all the things I hoped to do, finish my book, refine processes, read the books I have postponed, spend time with my children, visit my parents, I chose to begin by meeting different groups of people. For the first two weeks, that has been my focus.
From Monday’s Purposebility workshop, to dinner with Paul from Kuala Lumpur, to meetings in Singapore with Kevin and Mr. Ho, to a significant morning conversation with an independent board director of a public listed company, the days have been full. Later, I met Alfred and Datin, and then my long-time friend Hedki, a visionary with a generous heart.
One comment from a recent conversation has stayed with me. Two of our teammates were expressing workplace frustrations. When I asked why they had not raised these issues with their immediate superior, they replied, “She is just a manager.”
That phrase revealed something dangerous: the belief that without title, you cannot lead. I know from experience that this is not true.
Story 1: Leading Without a Title (My College Years)
Nearly twenty years ago, I began my first job as a lecturer in a college. I was the youngest in a faculty of older lecturers, with no seniority, no authority, and no experience. Yet within my first year, I organised the largest event the college had ever hosted, a fashion show that united all departments, involved over 2,000 students, and attracted local media and Singapore’s Mediacorp.
I wanted to do it because the college was dull. The events were small and repetitive. I saw potential for something bigger, something that would unite people and energise the campus. With a minimal budget, I sought sponsors. That meant leaving campus often, which exceeded the strict lunch break allowance. After three such violations, I received a warning letter. Still, I pressed on.
Eventually, I resigned to pursue my master’s degree. Before leaving, I told my boss two truths: the college was boring, and the punch card system for lecturers was ridiculous. We were professionals, yet treated like factory workers clocking in and out.
To my surprise, after I left, the college began hosting larger events and abolished the punch card system. Looking back, I see why my suggestions gained traction:
- Service beyond self: My suggestions benefited everyone, not just me.
- Right timing: The college was losing lecturers to a new international school, creating openness to change.
- Proof of possibility: I had already demonstrated results through the event.
This reflects what Harvard Business Review calls “informal leadership impact,” the ability to lead change without formal authority. It also aligns with John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership: Level 3 (Production) earns influence before Level 4 (People Development) or Level 5 (Pinnacle). In other words, results speak before titles do.
Story 2: The Head of Secondary Who Shaped a Nation
Three or four years ago, I met Paul. At the time, he was a secondary head at another international school. Many in that role stick to their job description. Paul did not. He spoke about vision, purpose, and national impact. He sought out connections with purpose-driven people and looked far beyond his immediate responsibilities.
From that posture, he founded Edutropism, an NGO that has gathered school owners, principals, and educators from across Malaysia. Ministers have attended. University provosts have contributed. The Prime Minister’s daughter, a passionate advocate for education’s role in nation-building, has supported it.
All of this was done without Paul owning the platform commercially, without being paid for it, and without large-scale corporate resources.
Paul’s story reflects Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset research, which shows that belief in one’s ability to grow and contribute shapes behaviour more than current skill level. Neuroscience confirms that challenging self-limiting beliefs rewires neural pathways, enabling adaptive and expansive action. If Paul had thought, “I am just a secondary head,” none of this would have happened.
Key Insights from Both Stories
When you put these two stories side by side, the leadership principles are clear:
- Service beyond self: Advocate for changes that benefit the whole, not just your personal situation.
- Timing matters: Even the best idea needs the right moment to be heard.
- Proof of possibility: Demonstrate results before expecting buy-in.
- Reject limiting beliefs: Position may be an amplifier, but it is not the generator of leadership.
- Imperfect but purposeful action: Even our best efforts are flawed, but purpose compels us forward.
These align with established frameworks:
- John Kotter’s Change Model: Urgency and demonstrated wins are prerequisites for adoption.
- Lean Startup Minimum Viable Product (MVP): A tested prototype, not just a concept, builds trust.
- Servant Leadership Theory: Leading through service rather than position.
Why Titles Are Overrated
The phrase “just a manager” is a leadership killer. It tells you that impact is impossible without position. In reality, titles only amplify influence you have already built. They do not create it.
The leaders who shape organisations and nations often begin without titles. They lead because they see what could be, they act before being asked, and they bring proof rather than theory.
The Reverse That Redefines It All
The most dangerous limit on leadership is the one you put on yourself.
It is not inexperience. It is not lack of authority. It is the belief that you cannot lead until someone gives you permission. The moment you remove that limit from your thinking, your leadership begins.
