In his presentation "Leading When You're Not in Charge" at RailsConf 2017, Scott Lesser discusses the concept of leadership outside traditional titles and roles. He emphasizes that leadership is not solely reserved for those with formal titles like manager or senior developer; instead, anyone, regardless of their position, can exhibit leadership qualities and influence their environment. Lesser shares his personal journey of wanting more responsibility and leadership opportunities while facing challenges and realizations along the way.

Key points discussed include:
- Importance of Personal Leadership: Scott emphasizes that before leading others, one needs to learn to lead themselves effectively. This involves basic responsibilities like being punctual, prepared, and self-motivated.
- Leading Up: Lesser introduces the concept of leading up, which means adding value to those in higher positions, supporting leaders, and working with excellence. He stresses the importance of honoring leadership publicly to gain influence privately.
- Receiving Feedback: He addresses the challenges of accepting both positive and negative feedback, providing strategies for processing criticism constructively and using it to improve.
- Self-Awareness: Understanding one's strengths and weaknesses is crucial for effective leadership. Lesser discusses various tools for self-assessment, such as Myers-Briggs and StrengthsFinder, which help identify personal leadership styles.
- Effective Communication: Lesser highlights the importance of knowing your audience, communicating in person when necessary, and following up on conversations to ensure clarity and understanding.
- Humility and Service: He concludes that true leadership involves humility, focusing on serving others rather than seeking to elevate oneself. He cites Simon Sinek’s idea of leaders eating last, underscoring that effective leadership stems from a desire to enhance the environment and support others.

In summary, Lesser encourages individuals to take responsibility in leading from where they are and to utilize their current roles to influence positively without waiting for a formal title. His talk serves as a motivational reminder that anyone can cultivate leadership qualities and impact their teams and organizations significantly.

Takeaways:

• Leadership is about action, not position.
• Self-leadership is essential for influencing others.
• Embrace both giving and receiving feedback as a growth opportunity.
• Leverage self-awareness to enhance your unique leadership style.
• Build effective communication that fosters understanding and clarity.
• Adopt a posture of humility and service in every leadership interaction.