Have you ever felt that there is a gap that exists between your current role in the company and the position you need to REALLY make a difference?
As an example, if you are not the President/CEO of the company, doesn't it seem like you could do so much more to improve the company if only you had the power she has?
As someone who works closely with the President of companies, I can assure you that the corner office doesn't necessarily increase your ability to make positive and successful changes in the organization.  That ability is developed over time with practice at any level of authority.  If you believe you need more power to make positive changes, then I would recommend that you not be given the promotion.  You're not ready for more power!
So how do you bridge the gap between your current position and the changes you would like to see?  Here are some simple (not easy) steps.

1. Understand that you need to develop your ability to influence those you lead, as well as those above and bside you in the organizational chart.  Resorting to using the "power" of your position is far less effective and can only work with those who are direct reports to you.  It is difficult to use "power" as influence with someone above you!
2. Seek to understand what the people around you are trying to accomplish both in the company and personally in their careers.  If your first move is to layout your strategy for improving the company without any thought given to what leadership and those around have as their goals, you will meet resistance.  This resistance is not because those around you are opposed to you or want you to fail.  You have not done the work that any good senior level leader will tell you they always do for a project or initiative to be successful.
3. When resistance is uncovered, dig deeper with those who are resisting.  Don't shy away from resistance.  It could provide the best solutions needed to achieve the goal.  Great leaders don't ignore contrary positions or opinions, or at least not without risking tremendous advantages that could be uncovered.
4. Finally, remember that building a bridge is far more difficult than just entering the stream and floating with the current.  So too is becoming a person of influence.  It is far easier to float along with everyone else while claiming that if you had more power/position/money you could make a difference.  The truth is you can make a difference right where you are with the tools at your disposal.  The bigger question you need to answer is will you use those tools and be a bridge builder? 

There is a reason there are fewer leaders than followers or those being led.  Good leadership takes work.  Great leadership requires hard work and a deep desire to see others succeed.  Most are not willing to do the work and thus remain in positions as a follower.  If you are someone who thrives on seeing others succeed, I hope you will be encouraged to begin doing the work to become a leader in whatever role you are in right now...no promotion needed.

Serving as a form of leading seems to run contrary to our culture and human nature. How do you lead by serving? Isn't that a contradiction?  It is not normally in the leader's nature to find people to serve.  In fact, most leaders have a built-in sense that people are hired to 'serve me' as the leader.  After all, the leader is the one who will be held responsible for what the organization accomplishes.  Right?

Well anyone who has held a leadership position knows that they will in fact be held responsible, so the better question is how to be effective in accomplishing what you need to do.

There are plenty of examples of charasmatic leaders basking in the limelight of their seemingly singular efforts, but everyone knows that they didn't do it alone.  So if you desire to be a leader who models a servant heart, how did you do it?

First, it requires a clear understanding of the definition of what it means to serve as a leader.  That is what will be discussed today. 

A leader effectively serves by understanding what the team/organization needs to accomplish, identifies those people and traits that will be most likely to achieve those goals, provides the environment and tools needed, and removes barriers that will hinder the team from reaching their full potential.  This is how a leader serves.

What it does NOT mean, is that the leader takes on everyone else's work!  A common mistake for leaders is to assume that they are serving by doing the work that their team is supposed to handle.  The organization growth will stall once the leader's capacity for work is reached.  This is not an example of a leader serving well.

A clear understanding of this definition is critical or the trap described above will be the result.  Seek counsel from someone outside of the organization to make sure you aren't doing the work your team should be doing and to help keep you on track with serving in the leadership role effectively.