Lateral leaders, those who lead but are not the bosses, influence, persuade, and elicit constructive contributions from others at all levels of an organization. Being a lateral leader doesn't mean you can take over and issue orders. In fact, to remain afloat, lateral leadership requires you to let others help pull the load. In this poster session, three library professionals who are … or have been lateral leaders will share their insights about how they found success in positions of unofficial leadership by motivating others and promoting productivity through conviction, communication, motivation, and a strategic mindset. This poster presentation shares ideas about how to cultivate oneself as a leader, but also support others at all levels of the organizational hierarchy to become leaders. Intentional cultivation of leadership skills among many employees is particularly important in building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce, as it gives others who are not in traditional roles of leadership opportunities to develop new skills and build confidence on-the-job and prepare for future advancement.