Influence without any formal title or authority behind it comes from trust, demonstrated competence and consistency, rather than from position, and this matters enormously for students and young professionals, since most of the situations where you actually need people to follow your lead, a college project, a club, an early workplace role, come with little or no formal authority attached to them at all.
Build a genuine track record of reliably doing exactly what you say you will do, since dependability compounds steadily into real trust over time far more effectively than any single confident statement or persuasive moment ever could. Genuinely listen to and visibly credit other peoples ideas rather than only pushing your own agenda forward, since people naturally follow those who make them feel heard, valued and respected, not those who simply talk the most or loudest. Be the person who steps up to solve problems and take initiative specifically when a situation is genuinely unclear or stuck, since this kind of visible, reliable helpfulness naturally draws others toward trusting and following your lead over time, without you ever needing to formally claim it.
Understand that influence is earned incrementally, through a series of repeated instances of good judgement and follow-through, rather than claimed all at once through a single confident moment or a well-delivered speech, and this means genuine influence, though it takes longer to build than authority granted by a title, also tends to be considerably more durable and genuinely respected once it is actually established.
Example: A student with no formal leadership title in their college club consistently followed through on small commitments, gave visible credit to others good ideas in group discussions, and stepped up to organise a stalled event when no one else did, which led the group to naturally start deferring to their judgement on future decisions.
One practical tip: Build a track record of reliably doing exactly what you say you will do and giving genuine, visible credit to others ideas, since consistent dependability, more than any single confident statement, is what actually earns peoples willingness to follow your lead.