Every leader, young or old, resonates with the dead-end feeling of not being in charge.

Too often, the lack of authority paralyzes leaders, believing they must wait to be in charge until they can lead. One of the greatest myths of leadership is that you must be in charge in order to lead. Great leaders don't buy it.

Great leaders lead with or without the authority to lead. Because every road of leadership forks at the intersection of authority and influence, learning to cultivate influence without authority is foundational to navigate culture today.