How to Lead When You're Not in Charge Study Guide: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority

by Clay Scroggins

The greatest myth of leadership is that you must be in charge in order to lead.

Great leaders aren't paralyzed by not being in a position of recognized authority. Great leaders lead with or without that authority and learn to unleash their positive influence wherever they are.

In this six-session, video-based study (DVD/streaming video sold separately), dynamic author and pastor Clay Scroggins shares his first-hand experience working under Andy Stanley at North Point Community Church. He explains the nature of leadership and what it takes to lead yourself and others well with or without that impressive title.

In this study you will:


Learn to leverage influence instead of authority
Create a game plan for leading yourself well
Change the energy of your team by choosing positivity
Cultivate influence by thinking critically, not being critical
Avoid the trap of passivity when you feel out of control
Learn an effective way to challenge people in authority over you


How to Lead When You're Not in Charge Study Guide will free you to become the great leader you want to be so you can make a difference right where you are--whether it's in your workplace, community, or church. Even when you're not in charge.

Sessions include:


The Oddity of Leadership
Lead Yourself
Choose Positivity
Think Critically
Reject Passivity
Challenging Up


Designed for use with the How to Lead When You're Not in Charge Video Study 9780310095934 (sold separately).

112 pages, ebook

Published April 24, 2018

About the author

Clay Scroggins is lead pastor of North Point Community Church (NPCC), where he provides visionary and directional leadership for the local church staff and congregation in Alpharetta, Georgia. As the original and largest campus of North Point Ministries, ranked by Outreach Magazine in 2014 as the largest church in America, NPCC averages over 12,000 people in attendance.

Clay works for Andy Stanley (“one of the greatest leaders on the planet” according to Clay) and understands firsthand how to manage the tension of leading when you’re not in charge. Starting out as a facilities intern (a.k.a. “vice president of nothing”), Clay worked his way through many organizational levels at North Point Ministries and knows all too well the challenge of authority deprivation.

Clay holds a degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech. During his years at Georgia Tech, he volunteered with the high school ministry at NPCC and discovered a passion to help students find a faith of their own. Also during that season, Clay attended a Bible study led by Louie Giglio, and a relationship developed that allowed Clay to be involved with Passion Conferences. At Dallas Theological Seminary, Clay earned a master’s degree as well as a doctorate with an emphasis in online church.