Stop Waiting for Permission: How to Lead Right Now (Even If No One Knows You)
Start Before You're Ready: The Real Way to Build Influence From Nothing
You already know you’re supposed to lead.
That’s why you’re here.
You see things others don’t. You notice problems no one is solving. You feel the pull to step up, to build something, to make things better—but something stops you.
You think: Who am I to lead?
You wait for permission—a title, a budget, an invitation.
Let me be brutally honest: No one is coming to pick you.
The world doesn’t hand out leadership roles. Leaders take them.
If you see a problem, you own the problem. If you have a vision, you start building it. If you care about something enough to think, “This needs to exist,” then guess what? That means YOU are the one who needs to create it.
You don’t need authority.
You don’t need a budget.
You don’t need a title.
You just need to start.
Most people believe leadership starts with recognition. They think:
“I’ll speak up once people respect me.”
“I’ll take charge once I have experience.”
“I’ll start when the timing is right.”
Wrong. Leadership creates recognition—not the other way around.
People respect action, not potential.
You don’t “earn” leadership by waiting. You earn it by leading—before anyone believes in you, before anyone listens, before you feel ready.
Still waiting? Then someone else is taking your spot.
You don’t need permission to start leading. But you do need a game plan.
Here’s how you take charge TODAY—even if you have zero power, zero title, and zero budget.
Step 1: Start Leading (Before Anyone Notices)
Leadership isn’t about telling people you’re a leader. It’s about doing the work—whether or not anyone is watching. Think about Odysseus: Ignoring fear and opposition, he devised the Trojan Horse, ending a ten-year war with a single, bold act of strategy.
Find a problem that needs solving.
What’s something broken in your space that no one is fixing?
What is frustrating your community, your industry, or your team?
What’s the one thing you wish existed but doesn’t?
Take the first small step.
Can’t get people to listen? Write about the problem. Post about it. Talk about it.
No audience? Serve one person first. Solve one problem. Build momentum.
No resources? Start sharing insights for free. Teaching can demonstrate mastery.
Example: Want to be a thought leader? Don’t wait for a big audience. Post every day. Talk about what you’re learning. Document your journey.
Action Item: Find a problem today and take the smallest possible step toward solving it.
Step 2: Rally People to Your Cause (Even If No One Listens Yet)
Leaders don’t beg for followers. They start moving—and people naturally follow those who move first.
Tell people what you’re building.
DM three people and say, “I’m working on [this idea]. I think it could really help people. What do you think?”
Post about it. Talk about it. Share early wins.
Create a simple invitation: “I’m starting something. Want in?”
Every time I think I have a project worth pursuing, I run it through one brutal hack: I pitch it to a friend. Not just any friend—someone I respect, someone sharp.
I scroll through my contacts, think about recent conversations, and make the call. I lay out the idea, raw and unpolished. Then I watch their reaction.
Most people? They’ll nod, smile, and say, “Sounds cool!”—which is worthless.
But the one who leans in, grabs a pen, starts asking real questions, and says, “Okay, how do we make this happen?” That’s the person I take seriously. That might be the one.
Warning: Watch for grifters. Some people will latch on, not to build—but to ride your momentum. You don’t need dead weight.
Be crystal clear upfront:
This will take sweat equity.
No one’s getting paid for 30 to 100 days.
You need a partner, not a passenger.
You’re looking for someone who will take ownership, not just cheer you on. Find that, and you’ve got the foundation of something real.
That should scare off everyone but the most serious.
All you need is one believer. Then two. Then ten.
You don’t need a crowd. You just need a core group who believes.
Example: Every movement starts small. Jesus started with 12. The American Revolution started with a handful of rebels in a bar. David (Before He Was King) was a shepherd boy with no armor, no title, and no army, he stepped up and slayed Goliath while trained warriors stood frozen in fear.
You don’t need thousands. You need a few who care.
Action Item: Tell three people today about your idea. See who’s interested.
Step 3: Handle Resistance Like a Leader
The moment you step up, you will get pushback.
People will say you’re not qualified.
People will ignore you at first.
People will resist your ideas.
This is not a sign to stop. This might be a sign you’re on the right track.
Every leader faces resistance. The difference is, real leaders keep moving anyway.
How to handle doubt & criticism:
Doubt yourself? Good. That means you’re pushing into new territory. Keep going.
People ignoring you? Keep showing up. They’ll notice when you don’t stop.
Haters? If no one is pushing back, you’re not doing anything worth noticing.
Example: When Steve Jobs came back to Apple, people thought he was a joke. When Elon Musk started Tesla, experts laughed. Now look where they are.
We have to be real here. I’m no bitter war hero with a thick skin. I really, really struggle with negative feedback. But here’s my hack: believe in the dream and the mission more than they do. If you get trolls in your comments, angry community members, or family members who list off the reasons you’ll never make it, just try this.
Try not to react.
Take it all in. Maybe even agree with them. Up until yesterday, or last week, maybe they were right. They’re going off the proof you’ve given them. But now you’re building new proof. And you’ll prove them wrong.
Almost every time, without fail, I get pushback right at the moment where I want encouragement. It’s like the universe plays a joke. Right as I’m turning the corner, making decisions, making my moves, something crops up to kick me down.
I’d be lying if I said I expected it now. That I looked for it as proof that I’m on the right road. That I welcomed it as part of the journey.
That’s what I think afterward. Because it is true. In the moment, I just need to stay level headed, calm, and decide on what I will do. I can delete the comment, block the member, or thank the family member for telling me how I suck. In fact, I agree that I need to get better.
Alex Hormozi even doubles down on encouraging feedback from people. As soon as they start telling you something, lean in and interrupt with enthusiastic agreement. “Yes, thank you, you’re right. I need to get better. Keep going.” And don’t be a jerk about it. Be honest. Someone is giving you the playbook for what not to do.
Sure, sometimes they will be brutal, and not in a good way. That will leave you feeling like an empty drain crawling with mold. You’ll doubt yourself, half-agree that they’re right, and wonder if you’ve been wasting your time.
“Never doubt in the dark what you decided in the light.”
That’s from Stephen Lawhead, a fantasy author. I love this line. Don’t change your direction when you’re going through a tunnel, or covered in stormclouds. That’s how you crash. Maybe think about cutting the engines, waiting until you get daylight again. Or maybe keep plowing ahead because you don’t have time to wait.
Here’s what I do in those moments. I try to nod and agree, and let them know I heard them. “Thanks for letting me know. You just might be right. I’m going to think about it. I can’t yet see it, but I need to think some more.” That’s how you can be polite, defuse the tension, and not lose any ground.
You could think for 5 seconds, or 5 minutes, and not change your mind at all. After all, you’re the one doing the work. They’re not doing anything.
When they say you’re crazy, prove them right. It takes someone of insane courage to do something new. The mark of a leader is someone who sees farther than anyone else.
Action Item: When someone ignores or doubts you, take it as fuel. Prove them wrong.
The Shortcut: How to Gain Influence Faster
You don’t need to “earn” leadership in the traditional sense. But you can make it easier to gain traction.
The fastest way to become a leader? Give value first.
Share insights. Teach what you know. Help people with no expectation.
Be so helpful and visible that people naturally turn to you.
Focus on creating, not convincing.
Share the journey
Example: If you give away game-changing knowledge for free, people will start treating you like an authority—long before you have a title. Remember Moses? With no official title or army, only the conviction of his beliefs and a divine mandate - that anyone could have doubted - he stood before Pharaoh and demanded, “Let my people go,” leading an entire nation to freedom.
Your Leadership Challenge: Do This Right Now
If you finish this without taking action, you wasted your time.
Pick ONE challenge and do it:
Option 1: DM three people and tell them what you’re working on.
Option 2: Write a post about a problem you want to solve.
Chat GPT Prompt
Hi Chat, I have an idea about a brand or a mission, and I want to share it with a couple of friends, maybe partners, who will give me feedback. Maybe they will want to work with me. Ask me questions, and help me write my pitch so that it is clear and compelling.
This is a chapter from my book, ‘Start Your Saga Brand: The Relentlessly Helpful Guide for Total Beginners & Visionary Founders to build a brand with no permission, no budget, and no limits - in just 100 days.’
Check it out, and get on the waitlist here for when it comes out!