Li Lisan
Despite breaching the party's constitution, several individuals (who are not included in the list) have been "de facto" leaders of the CCP without holding formal positions of power. Wang Ming was briefly in charge in 1931 after Xiang Zhongfa was jailed by Kuomintang forces, while Li Lisan is considered to have been the real person in-charge for most of Xiang's tenure. Deng Xiaoping is the last CCP official to achieve this; he never served as Chairman or General Secretary, his highest post being Chairman of the Central Military Commission (Commander-in-Chief).