Leading others is one of the most essential skills for any job, so if you can show that on your resume, it will get noticed by hiring managers. They want to hire people who can lead their company forward, not just be a part of it. Using 'lead' to describe your work experience is a perfect word to demonstrate this.

If you have led various projects, 'lead,' a present-tense form of the verb 'led,' is an excellent word to use in your resume. However, remember to use the word in moderation—repeating the same word multiple times can make your writing seem choppy and unengaging. In addition, it's best to use the past tense of lead in your resume unless you're talking about something that is an ongoing role or achievement.

One way to ensure your resume is less repetitive is by using synonyms. Words to use on the resume instead of 'lead' include: championed, enforced, founded, optimized, and facilitated.

When you use synonyms, it improves the flow of your writing. You create a more fluid flow that's easier for readers to follow, making your resume more interesting to read.

I've compiled some synonyms you can use instead of Lead on your resume, followed by real examples I've written for clients (feel free to use them!).

Resume Synonyms for Lead:

Orchestrated
Formulated
Implemented
Devised
Revitalized
Supervised
Established
Championed
Revamped
Cultivated
Launched
Drove
Consolidated
Maximized
Optimized
Reengineered
Mobilized
Elevated
Transformed
Pioneered
Fielded
Managed
Commanded
Steered
Operated
Piloted
Conducted
Headed
Governed
Processed
Delivered
Resolved
Hosted
Presided
Directed
Ushered
Instructed

How to replace Lead with a stronger action verb:

Let's look at examples of how you can remove and replace the overused phrase, Lead, with a stronger synonym and alternative that is more effective at highlighting your achievements.

Before: Weak example using Lead

• Leading the launch of new employee corporate social responsibility program

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Spearheaded development and implementation of new employee corporate social responsibility program, leading to 4x more participation.

Replacing Lead with Orchestrated ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the team in developing new marketing strategies

⤸

After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated the development of innovative marketing strategies, increasing online engagement by 30% and driving a 15% increase in sales

The previous statement was vague and did not provide any concrete value to the applicant's achievement. In revising the statement, I used a stronger verb 'Orchestrated', and supplemented it with numbers and specific outcomes to emphasize the candidate's direct impact on the organization's success.

Tip: I've prepared a ton of additional examples for you to give you inspiration. Please click on any of the following to expand and see real examples of how I've rewritten client bullet points.

Replacing Lead with Formulated ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead efforts to create a new staffing model

⤸

After: Formulated• Formulated a robust staffing model which positively impacted team allocation, resulting in a 20% increase in project delivery rate

To improve this bullet point, I selected 'Formulated' to better express the action taken by the candidate. The rewritten version also quantifies the impact of the new staffing model on the project delivery rate - something hiring managers would be keen to see.

Replacing Lead with Implemented ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the software upgrade process

⤸

After: Implemented• Implemented a major software upgrade, streamlining workflow, and improving team productivity by 25%

I replaced the overused term 'Lead' with 'Implemented', which directly shows how the candidate took initiative. I also included specific metrics to show how this action provided value by improving productivity.

Replacing Lead with Devised ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the design of the company intranet

⤸

After: Devised• Devised a user-friendly company intranet platform, elevating team collaboration and reducing email traffic by 50%

In this instance, I chose 'Devised' to highlight the candidate's inventiveness. Additionally, specific measurements were added to give evidence of the productivity increase resulting from the reduced email traffic.

Replacing Lead with Revitalized ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the overhaul of the client relationship management program

⤸

After: Revitalized• Revitalized the client relationship management program, boosting customer satisfaction by 35% and client retention by 15%

By using 'Revitalized' instead of 'Lead', we provide a more dynamic description of the applicant's role. The outcome is then expressed in terms of the increased customer satisfaction and client retention percentages.

Replacing Lead with Supervised ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead a team of five sales representatives

⤸

After: Supervised• Supervised a high-performing team of five sales representatives, who collectively grew the client base by 18% in just six months

Supervised' helps differentiate this candidate's management experience. I also clarified the team's achievements and used a time-bound result that shows a clear and impactful outcome.

Replacing Lead with Established ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the creation of the company's quarterly newsletter

⤸

After: Established• Established a widely-read quarterly company newsletter that resulted in a 45% rise in employee engagement

'Established' better conveys the candidate's role in originating the newsletter, and incorporating the impact on employee engagement clearly depicts the value added by the applicant.

Replacing Lead with Championed ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the introduction of a flexible work policy

⤸

After: Championed• Championed the introduction of a flexible work policy that boosted employee work satisfaction ratings by 25%

The word 'Championed' is a strong action verb that connotes advocacy and leadership. The rewritten statement also quantifies the policy's impact on work satisfaction, thus indicating an improvement of the work environment.

Replacing Lead with Revamped ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the revisions of the safety regulations

⤸

After: Revamped• Revamped company safety regulations, reducing workplace accidents by 40% over one year

As a recruiter, the verb 'Revamped' immediately catches my eye as it signals major improvements. Coupled with the significant decrease in workplace accidents, this shows a combination of strategic initiative and measurable success.

Replacing Lead with Cultivated ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead a team to develop client relationships

⤸

After: Cultivated• Cultivated key client relationships, growing the client base by 15% and revenue by $1M

In improving this bullet point, 'Cultivated' underlines the candidate's growth mindset. The metric-based results, show both the increase in clientele and growth in revenue, providing evidence of robust client development skills.

Replacing Lead with Launched ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the roll-out of a new product

⤸

After: Launched• Launched a groundbreaking product, surpassing initial sales targets by 20% and inspiring expansion into two new markets

The verb 'Launched' signifies a strong start and instigation. Moreover, demonstrating exceeding sales targets and entering new markets presents a convincing success story.

Replacing Lead with Drove ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead marketing campaigns

⤸

After: Drove• Drove conversion-focused marketing campaigns, leading to a 15% rise in sales and a 10% boost in customer retention

Replacing 'Lead' with 'Drove' depicts the candidate as a driving force behind the marketing campaigns. By highlighting metrics like the rise in sales and an increase in customer retention, we show clear, strong results.

Replacing Lead with Consolidated ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead multiple software platforms

⤸

After: Consolidated• Consolidated multiple software platforms into one seamless system, improving operational efficiency by 30%

The newly-used verb, 'Consolidated', tells us the candidate's role in centralizing the system. The mention of 'system efficiency increase' helps visualize a tangible impact achieved by the candidate.

Replacing Lead with Maximized ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead business growth

⤸

After: Maximized• Maximized business growth by innovating revenue streams, leading to an ongoing increase in profits by 10% annually

The term 'Maximized' signifies optimization. The applicant's contribution is made evident with the continual annual increase in profits recorded. As a hiring manager, this separately shows me the candidate’s long term impact.

Replacing Lead with Optimized ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead warehouse operations

⤸

After: Optimized• Optimized warehouse operations, reducing order processing time by 60% and improving delivery efficiency by 20%

The term 'Optimized' better showcases the candidate’s role in refining operations. Including specific processing and delivery efficiencies provides concrete metrics to illustrate the value they brought to operations.

Replacing Lead with Reengineered ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the revision of workplace policies

⤸

After: Reengineered• Reengineered workplace policies to create a more inclusive environment, resulting in a 100% positive response in the annual employee survey

Choosing 'Reengineered' emphasizes the reconstructive role the candidate played. By underscoring the positive response from employees, the changes not only sound impressive - they are empirically validated.

Replacing Lead with Mobilized ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead cross-departmental meetings

⤸

After: Mobilized• Mobilized cross-departmental meetings that fostered greater inter-departmental alignment, leading to a 15% increase in project delivery pace

By changing 'Lead' to 'Mobilized', the candidate's initiative in coordinating collective action stands out more. The increased project delivery pace suggests this approach yielded productive results.

Replacing Lead with Elevated ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead customer service standards

⤸

After: Elevated• Elevated customer service standards, resulting in a 20% rise in customer satisfaction rates and a 10% increase in customer loyalty

The verb 'Elevated' better signifies the candidate's role in raising standards. Specific figures on increased customer satisfaction make a convincing case of the candidate’s ability to drive positive change.

Replacing Lead with Transformed ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead company culture change

⤸

After: Transformed• Transformed company culture, leading to a 30% decrease in employee turnover and increased employee satisfaction by 40%

'Transformed' best represents the long-lasting change the candidate brought about. Notable improvements in employee turnover and satisfaction rates evidence this candidate’s effectiveness in culture management.

Replacing Lead with Pioneered ▾

Before: Lead

• Lead the creation of the company's first mobile app

⤸

After: Pioneered• Pioneered the creation of the company’s first mobile app, achieving over 10,000 downloads in the first month

'Pioneered' emphasizes the candidate's trailblazing role, while the app download number provides a concrete measure of the project’s success.

How to use these synonyms in practice

We've put together an infographic to give you more examples of how to put this into practice. Note the use of strong action verbs instead of words like Lead.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Analyzed on a resume:

• Analyzed fundamental growth drivers via top-down (macro/sector trends, competition) and bottom-up (growth strategy, revenue forecast, cost allocation) approaches, and analysis of senior management and shareholding structure..

How to use Coached on a resume:

• Coached 30 summer interns and launched a mentorship program for new joiners in the Berlin office.

How to use Led on a resume:

• Led five developers to establish client's ERP system; identified $1.5MM in cost savings, and secured $1MM+ in additional work for Accenture.

How to use Founded on a resume:

• Founded ReferRoom to organize social events for 500 young professionals, and grew it to $20k/year revenue and $8k/year profit..

How to use Overhauled on a resume:

• Overhauled the obsolete legacy source code of two production applications, resulting in increased usability and reduced run time performance by 50%.

How to use Developed on a resume:

• Developed an iPhone app to help medical professionals measure the insulin needs of patients with diabetes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Lead on a resume?

You can say Presided, Headed or Operated instead of Lead.

What is a better word for Lead on a resume?

You can say Hosted, Managed or Headed instead of Lead.

Get a free resume review: Find out if your action verbs are strong enough.

Hiring managers are unnecessarily picky when it comes to resumes, and it's hard to know what they want to see. That's why you should upload your resume to the free resume checker below. It'll check your bullet points and identify any mistakes on your resume that recruiters specifically look out for.

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