Learning Leadership

My boss might have left, and my best colleague about to go, leaving me grasping at straws for what to do to keep our projects together (and bluffing heavily at meetings with the Assistant Director, and regional meetings with the Directors of other Councils), but a Pie Night out with the deserting rats and the other, crocked, member of the team gives me some confidence, that with time and patience, and me showing some initiative and leadership, we can keep this thing going. Their projects are all ongoing and are currently up to date and just need a few tweaks here and there. My departing colleagues are not about to stitch me up. They will keep me up to speed with what they are doing, even if I dont understand the nuts and bolts of whatever it is they have done. The leaving people havent shat on me, at least, and I know where they are if I need help. I could be the King of Delegators, if I had the chance and sit in my ivory tower and send others out to do the arguing and footwork. (But then I would get paid 150000 at least to point fingers and enjoy a large office.
I need preparation (and there is so much legislation and regional stuff out there it makes my head hurt) and whatever leadership means to take the initiative and at least get our projects going beyond Christmas. All the people in our team have lived seperate lives as far as work is concerned and taken our own initiatives within our own ethos, and I seem to have been out of the loop for a lot of things (or did I choose to be left out, for the sake of a quiet life?). Hence when people leave, there is a huge learning curve to find out what they were doing, and how to progress what they were doing.
The remaining team seem confident in their tasks, even if they are off sick/crocked, and the leavers OK that they are handing over a steady ship. I can see now why my ex-boss printed off everything: it kept his head together.
Also going to new meetings, and sounding confident about things (ie bluffing) helps for next time when you can check your bluffs from previous work and see that it is true.
I just need them, and Dad, to tell me I am doing OK, which they are and he is.
God this is hard
This blog might not make much sense, but basically, I am taking on a lot of responsibility for (hopefully) a short while including meeting eg Government Office SW to defend our Local Transport Plan Progress Report which I didnt write or supervise)about things I know little of, and without the authority to say do This and This.