When you are granted a formal position of authority by official appointment or other formal grant of authority you are in command. You may issue an order and expect compliance.
Leadership does not require the benefit of command and getting things done through the use of personal impact and influence skills without a formal appointment or granted authority can be harder but sometimes is longer lasting and ultimately more effective.
Balance Command and Influence
Earning the ability to guide and support others through trust and collaboration is typically more difficult than issuing directives and expecting compliance based on the dint of command authority.
However, sometimes the direct approach is required due to urgency and priority but if overused the ongoing effectiveness of your command authority can be diminished.
A mix of command behaviours with more facilitative ones is often the best approach. The challenge is finding the right mix for any particular situation.
Take Your Time
Taking charge should not be rushed and taking time to analyze options and work out the best plan for a given situation is well worth it.
Consider the audience and the nature of the goals. These may be strategic or tactical objectives and the stakeholders could be mature or inexerienced and every flavour in-between.
Targeting leadership/command approach will typically provide better more sustainable results.
