How do you know when you're a leader?

This may seem like an obvious question. The easy answer is: you're a leader when your title has the word "director" in it, like Executive Director. Or, you are a leader when there is no one else above you in the organizational chart.

But sometimes, "directors" don't know how to lead and middle managers (which I think of as Program Associates and Coordinators, but could also be a Director who isn't given the authority to lead) are taking on big projects and inspiring others. Yet, it's hard to feel like a leader sometimes when you are not given the title or authority (or credit). I find it easy to slip into negative thinking about this situation and the feeling that I just keep hitting walls.

At this point, I don't have answers to these questions, but here are some great insights from a few of my favorite bloggers:

You Don't Need a Title to Lead
Young Nonprofit Professionals Need to Keep it Real
The Generational Divide At Work
Ready To Lead

If you haven't read the report the last link refer's to, do it now. Its very informative, and truthfully, helped me to not feel so alone in these battles.