You don’t have to have a title to be a leader. Informal leaders can be change makers.

You just might go postal if you hear management’s “do more with less” refrain one more time. If you are like millions of others, you yearn for the good old days when there were enough resources to get the job done. You remember when you actually looked forward to coming to work every day. Not anymore. Everybody in the office is in survival mode. Now it’s all about keeping your head down, doing what needs to be done, and not rocking the boat. There is no relief in sight. You are frustrated, feeling powerless and fed up with waiting for things to get better. What can you do?

Stop whining and get busy.

5 Ways to Change the Status Quo 

1. Praise others for their contributions. Positive recognition is one of the most powerful motivators there is. When you give your coworkers kudos and encouragement they are more likely to be more generous with each other. That’s the power of paying it forward.
2. Show up. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, be the first to step up when your boss is looking for help on a project. Adopt “be the change” as your mantra.
3. Keep your promises. When you do what you say you will do, you contribute to an atmosphere of trust. If you are going to rally your coworkers to make changes, they need to believe in you — and each other.
4. Don’t be a downer. If you’ve let yourself become one of the “downers” in your group, you could be part of the problem. Shift your attitude and you become part of the solution.
5. Befriend fear. Leaders have the courage to step out of their comfort zone. Remember that fear is nothing more than an expression of your anxious thoughts. Taking action, even if it turns out to be wrong, is better than doing nothing at all.

This week think differently. Be the change you want to see at work — and in the world.