I was catching up with Steve McConnell a few weeks back and he said something that struck me as very insightful. “Being an instructor is a leadership position.” Steve has built a successful business as a thought leader on software development, having written a number of fantastic books and also developed training to help organizations implement software best practices.

I would expand Steve’s thought and say when you’re teaching, you’re leading. When you are in a position of having deep expertise, it puts you in a leadership position. We may be used to being the expert in a particular subject, yet we may not realize the leadership role which comes with teaching that subject to others.

As an instructor, you’re in a position of authority as the teacher and expert. In a classroom, that puts you as the authority figure for the classroom. The expectations that come with that position extend beyond simply answering questions about the subject at hand. The position as instructor also comes with a responsibility to manage the participants, the classroom and the environment. This position also requires that you speak with one voice from the curriculum; Steve called it “making sure the instructor isn’t arguing with the curriculum” when the instructor might say “I don’t know why we teach this topic in this order."

If you are in a position where your expertise has made you a go-to resource in your firm, you are a technical leader in your firm. You don’t need an organizational title to designate that leadership. People come to you for advice, insight or clarification. They look up to you as a leader because of your expertise. It affords you influence as well as places expectations of leadership on you.

The expectations of leadership exist in the minds of those who see you in that role. Folks expect you to support the position of the organization. They expect you to support your boss and your boss’ decisions. They expect you to help explain the rationale behind organizational decisions and changes. You are a leader, and to many others on your team you are the organization.

When you don’t meet the basic expectation of leadership you create confusion within your team. This can happen when you say things like “This decision the boss made is wrong” or “That policy is stupid.” Your teammates don’t understand why someone who is an expert (and obviously has authority as an expert) is contradicting the organization. It diminishes both the standing of the organization and your standing as a teacher. The conflict present in your audience tears at your credibility as a leader.

So what do you do when you disagree with a decision or policy? My general guidance on when to disagree with a decision or policy is to do it in private with your boss (if you have a relationship that wills support disagreement). In public, and when others ask you about a decision with which you disagree, the least you can say is nothing or “I don’t know.” That’s not great, as you imply you aren’t a part of understanding the decision.

You can explain in the voice of your boss or the organization. For example, in the event of a layoff: “The organization needs to do this in order to reduce expenses right now.” Another important element is you don’t need to hide the emotional reaction to decisions. Your emotional reaction is different than disagreeing with the decision. You can express sadness, for example, in the decision to have layoffs even when it is in the organization’s best interest.

Recognize your role as a leader when you are a teacher and expert in your firm, and step up to the expectations of technical leadership.