Leading from the Shadows

At ILTACON 2025, the session “Leading from the Shadows” challenged a common perception about leadership: that it’s defined by titles, positions, or corner offices. Instead, the panel, featuring Tony AbouAssaleh, President & CEO, TitanFile, Rex Balboa, Senior Manager of Applications, Vedder Price, Elaine Dick, Knowledge Management & Data Services Manager, Baker & Hostetler LLP and Jannise Vinson, Vice President of Content, ILTA, explored how individuals without formal authority can shape outcomes, guide teams, and drive success.

“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.” - John C. Maxwell

The Changing Landscape of Leadership Aspirations

The panel began by grounding the conversation in data. Surveys show that only 38% of professionals aspire to become managers in their current organizations, dropping slightly to 36% when considering management roles elsewhere. Gender differences are notable: 44% of men express interest in management compared to just 32% of women. The generational shift is even starker, with over half of Gen Z professionals wanting to avoid middle management entirely, and 72% prefer advancing as individual contributors without managing others.

This shift means that organizations must rethink leadership pipelines, valuing and empowering those who “lead from the shadows” through expertise, collaboration, and mentorship.

Four Pillars of Leading Without Authority

1. Establishing Yourself as an Expert
Credibility starts with competence. The panel stressed that technical skill, specialized knowledge, and consistent delivery are the foundation of trust. Once colleagues see you as the go-to resource in your area, your voice carries more weight in decision-making.

2. Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Coaching
Influence grows through relationships. Mentorship provides guidance; sponsorship uses influence to open doors; and coaching supports skill development. Elaine Dick highlighted the concept of a Personal Board of Directors. This network might include a mentor, a cheerleader, a connector, a challenger, a sponsor, a coach, a colleague at a similar career stage, and even a rising star from a younger generation. This diverse circle provides perspective, accountability, and advocacy.

3. Personal Branding and Visibility
Leaders in the shadows still need to be seen. Panelists suggested attendees strategically share successes, participate in cross-functional initiatives, present at meetings, and contribute to industry conversations. Visibility doesn’t mean self-promotion for ego’s sake. It’s about ensuring that your work and ideas reach the audiences who can act on them.

4. Collaboration and Relationship-Building
Technical skill alone is not enough; influence requires trust. By actively listening, finding common ground, and connecting colleagues to resources or solutions, individuals build reputations as collaborators who make projects and people better.

The Role of the Personal Board of Directors

One of the most resonant takeaways was the intentional design of a personal network to support career growth. Panelists encouraged participants to ask: Is there an open seat at your table? Gaps in your network may signal a missing perspective, skill, or advocate that could be critical to advancing your goals. The exercise reminded attendees that influence is rarely built in isolation; instead, it grows in community.

Challenging Self-Perception

A live poll posed two questions: Do you have “Manager” or “Supervisor” in your title? and Do you consider yourself a leader? The contrast between responses underscored the session’s central message: leadership is a behavior, not a job description. Many attendees without formal titles identified as leaders, validating the panel’s argument that leadership is about impact, not hierarchy.

Shifting the Leadership Paradigm

In an era where fewer professionals are chasing managerial roles, the success of organizations increasingly depends on those who lead from the middle or even from behind the scenes. The case was made that cultivating influence without authority is not just a personal career strategy; it’s an organizational imperative.

As the workplace evolves, so must our definition of leadership. Titles may open doors, but it is expertise, relationships, and the ability to inspire others that truly create lasting impact. Leading from the shadows doesn’t mean working in obscurity; it means casting a positive influence that extends far beyond your official role.

Actionable Takeaways for Individuals and Leaders

For individual contributors, the advice was clear: deepen your expertise, seek out mentors and sponsors, make your work visible, and actively support colleagues’ success. For formal leaders, the call to action was to recognize and reward those leading without titles, create space for them to influence decisions, and offer resources that amplify their contributions.

Resources for Continued Growth

The session concluded with recommendations for further exploration, including articles on leadership shadow theory, traits of effective shadow leaders, strategies for turning strengths into assets without creating blind spots, and Simon Sinek’s TED Talk “Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe.” These resources reinforce the idea that unconscious behaviors, consistent actions, and relationship-building have as much impact on a team’s success as formal authority.