🚩 Tactical Memo 003: Stop Waiting to Be a Leader

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Welcome back to Tactical Memo.

If you missed it this week, here are the 3 best conversations we had on LinkedIn. Jump into the thread and share your take:

1. Alfred was managing global projects with a system; now he’s unstoppable.

2. Job descriptions aren’t always written in plain English. Here’s how to decode them.

3. Broken onboarding destroys great talent. Here are 3 signs you may be missing.

Today, we’re cutting through the fluff around leadership growth.

Most people are waiting for permission to lead.

Waiting for a title.

Waiting for someone to say, "You're ready."

Here’s the truth: Leadership is a habit, not a role.

If you want to grow as a leader, start acting like one before you’re given the title.

THE SITUATION

Most professionals think the path to leadership looks like this:

• Crush your tasks

• Wait for someone to notice

• Get promoted

• Finally get to lead

That’s backwards.

If you wait until you're given authority, you’ll never be seen as ready for it.

Leadership starts when you decide to think and act differently before anyone else does.

The best leaders didn’t ask for permission.

They built credibility by showing clarity, ownership, and direction before they were expected to.

THE STRATEGY

Here’s how to step into leadership today without waiting for a promotion, a title, or a nudge from your manager.

These are practical moves that work in the real world.

1. Shift from task-doer to clarity-giver

Stop obsessing over doing more. Start focusing on helping your team do less, better.

Each week, share a short update that answers:

• What matters most this week?

• What’s getting in the way?

• What needs a decision?

Do this even if no one asked you to.

It positions you as someone who leads with focus, not noise.

2. Use your words like a leader

Your communication style is your leadership brand.

Replace vague phrases with clear intent.

Instead of:

• “Let me know what you think.”
  Say:

• “Here’s my recommendation. I’m open to pushback, but we need to decide by Tuesday.”

Instead of:

• “This is just an idea.”
  Say:

• “Here’s one way to solve this. Let’s pressure test it together.”

Leaders speak with clarity, not apology.

3. Take ownership of outcomes, not tasks

It’s easy to hide behind your piece of the project. It’s safer to say, “That wasn’t my part.”

But real leaders zoom out.

Ask:

• How’s the overall initiative tracking?

• Where are things getting stuck?

• What’s the business impact of this work?

Then raise your hand to help connect the dots.

This is how you go from “team player” to “future leader” in your org’s eyes.

4. Replace visibility-chasing with trust-building

Trying to get noticed is a trap. Stop showing off. Start showing up.

• Be consistent

• Be reliable

• Be the person people go to when things get messy

Leaders aren’t loud. They’re steady.

Focus on being the most trusted person in the room—not the most seen.

Leadership Without a Title: Strategy Breakdown

THE IMPACT

When you adopt these habits, people stop seeing you as “just” a team member.

They start seeing you as the obvious next leader.

You build influence without begging for attention.

You create clarity without forcing decisions.

You elevate the work and the people around you.

And when the opportunity comes?

You're already the person they're thinking about.

TRY THIS TODAY

• Write a one-page leadership briefing for your current project. Clarify priorities, blockers, and next steps. Share it with your team or manager.

• Identify one area where you’ve been overly tactical. Zoom out and start owning the outcome.

• Choose one phrase you need to stop saying. Replace it with confident, clear language.

Leadership isn’t a light switch.

It’s a set of choices made on purpose, every day.

20 Misunderstandings Leaders Get Wrong About Projects

When you fix these common misunderstandings, you avoid delays, costly rework, and team tension.

You’ll lead smoother projects, earn trust faster, and gain a reputation for catching problems before they escalate.

Join this free lightning session to manage projects with more clarity, confidence, and control.

Register free here

Build Trust Fast: How To Win Buy-In in the First 5 Minutes

If you missed last week’s lightning session, you can still catch the free replay here: https://maven.com/p/546864. In just 30 minutes, you’ll learn the 5-minute trust blueprint I use to build instant credibility, avoid project chaos, and lead with clarity—even without a formal title.

Develop the skills to lead projects, people, and performance.

In 2025, every leader is a project leader. But most still don’t have a system—just a stack of meetings, tools, and chaos. That’s why 58% of projects fail. And why leaders who do have systems earn 22% more. You don’t need more theory. You need clarity. You need repeatable workflows. You need results.

That’s exactly what this course delivers.
Learn more here about the next cohort.

Until next time,
Justin

✍️ From the Desk of Justin Bateh, PhD
Real-world tactics. No fluff. Just what works.

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