How do I actually lead in politics, not just hold a seat?

Holding a position and leading are not the same, and you have felt the difference. You can occupy the chair. But moving people, building something, getting others to follow you toward a goal, that still slips away. This is not a flaw in you. Leading is a craft, and almost no one has it at the start.\nHere is what separates the two. Holding a seat is about you keeping your place. Leading is about other people and where they are going. Leaders spend most of their effort understanding what others want and fear, then showing them a path that meets it. Turn your attention outward. Stop asking how you look and start asking what the people around you actually need to move.\nStart small and real. Pick one person whose support you want and do not have. Sit with them and listen, honestly, until you understand what matters to them. Do not pitch. Just learn. Leadership grows from knowing your people, and you cannot know them until you truly listen. Begin there, with one conversation.