'It's not about the job title': A Marine explains how to lead when you're not the boss

Angie Morgan is a Marine veteran who is a coauthor, along with Courtney Lynch and Sean Lynch, of the new book "Spark: How to Lead Yourself and Others to Greater Success." Here Morgan explains how you can lead when you are not the boss. Following is a transcript of the video.

So leadership is about two things: influencing outcomes and inspiring others.

It’s not about the job title, it’s not about position authority or that corner office. It’s about your ability to influence. So if where are you are, you’re an individual contributor, you don't have a management role. I would say a really great place to start is reflecting on yourself. Do the people around me see me as somebody who’s credible?

And then think about yourself as a person who can help facilitate team building. One thing that is consistent across most organizations I work with is that service-based leadership is in demand. Service-based leadership is something direct from I would say all military branches. But it's at the foundation, at the heart of what I learned in the Marine Corps, and it was as a leader I have to prioritize the needs of those around me and make sure that they are met and their needs are more important than mine.

I mean certainly I have needs myself, but when you prioritize your team, what you're able to do is transform a group of individuals who perhaps have their own interest, into a team that's focused on the team needs. Whenever we are a part of the team we have to give up something to gain the benefits of the team and so service-based leadership, to me and this is what we write about in “Spark,” is just the idea that you have to really serve the team and in turn they’re seeking to serve you.

And that's what makes teams so tight. How can you facilitate service? How can you as an individual contributor help build a team among the colleagues around you? It may feel at times like a thankless quest. It may feel at times like you're the only one doing it. But I can share with you honestly if you step up and serve those around you, you're going to build that team.