As Leaders — The Position You Hold
There is only one top leader in a company — the person who holds the deciding vote when there is a tie. But that doesn’t mean all other roles are any less important.
Support positions are just as important as the top role. No organization succeeds without other roles, whether the company consists of two people or two hundred. Each role has value, or it wouldn’t exist — and you are, or can be, a leader within the role you hold.
Leadership is about the ability to think and function within your area of responsibility — and to do it well. Although you may not hold the primary position in an organization, that doesn’t lessen your importance within it. You lead what is yours to do, and there can be satisfaction in that — wherever it falls on the organizational chart. We don’t have to hold the top position to lead with satisfaction — even if no one formally reports to us. Leadership is about doing what you do with integrity and honesty.
Leadership is a quality one possesses, not necessarily a role. The person paid the least in the company can be a leader when they manage their responsibilities well. Realizing the importance of what we do and carrying out our duties with integrity and honor is a mindset. It’s doing what we do with excellence — so don’t assume you aren’t a leader just because you don’t hold a certain position. I’ve seen people in the most humble positions be highly influential because of how they managed their responsibilities.
We all know those who have a role but have no leadership skills. Leadership is a mindset not just a position. And no one who is truly successful begins at the top of the organizational chart; we all just begin.
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Written by Lori Elliott; Copyright 2026; Forward Movement Coaching, Redding, California