Often in the corporate world, people with titles are thought of as leaders. Having the title, though, doesn’t mean you’re leading.

People with titles possess positional power. Positional power can be used to direct, reward, and punish. None of these are sources of leadership.

The upside of positional power is it can take less time to send people in a direction.

However, you may not like the outcome if you don’t also provide leadership. Without leadership, people are more likely to follow your direction out of obligation. In a mindset of obligation, people do the minimum required to satisfy you.

Does that sound like a recipe for success?

Positional power and leadership can go hand in hand. One without the other may not result in what you want.

You’ve got this.