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With necessary last-minute construction and repairs to be done, Andrea and her husband worked late into the evening for weeks, staying until midnight at times, in order to be ready for the building inspectors so school could open on time.
Andrea even found a temporary location for those classes whose rooms were not yet approved by the time the school year started–the church she attends offered to let the school use their facility for several weeks. And, as a result of Andrea’s “negotiations,” the school paid very little to rent the facilities.
Andrea Stoller still doesn’t have a title. But she leads and influences others in significant ways every day.
WHAT GOOD IS A TITLE?
In today’s world, much is made of a person’s title. Yet little actual power exists in a title alone.
I once did a survey on my Web site about the reasons people had for acting as leaders. One woman replied, “I want to be Ruler of the Universe someday, and figure being a leader at my company is a good place to start.”
Her wry sense of humor underscores the appeal of titles; they suggest that one has achieved power, position, prestige, and privilege.
But are titles really that powerful? What does a title really confer?
An article in the New York Times described a corporate communications officer at Amtrak whose title had been changed from “Vice President” to “Chief.” But the title change wasn’t the result of a promotion. When the company reduced the number of VPs from eighty-?ve to ten, he was given the new title to make him feel better–he was one of the select few in the company to hold such a position. What kind of impact did the new title have on the people under him? “It meant absolutely nothing,” the new chief acknowledged.
Sometimes it is easier to give an employee an important-sounding title than pay him or her more (although, according to one survey, 85 percent of people would pass up a bigger title for a 10 percent increase in pay). Marc Cenedella, president and chief executive of TheLadders.com, an executive job-search site, says, “You’re never going to get hired based on your title, in and of itself. A job title’s more useful internally to your company and for how you feel you’re viewed.”
In other words, a title is not a job description. There are some things that a title can suggest, like having responsibility for others and getting results. It can’t, however, specifically define what a person does. Titles are broad brushstrokes.
In fact, when it comes to true power, titles are frequently misleading. Even at the level of CEO, a company head who is disliked can be all but ignored by those under her or him, while a respected employee with a lower title can wield significant influence on what others do and how quickly they do it.
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