Informal leadership
The path to influence and authority without formal power.
Discover the art of leadership through relationships, experience and behavior.
What is informal leadership?
You may already know it. There are people that others listen to, even if they don't have an official leadership role. The people who can make things happen because they have influence and authority that isn't based on a title, but on relationships, experience, expertise and a welcoming demeanor. The people who are informal leaders.
Informal leaders are everywhere. They exist in all types of organizations and teams, and they play an important role in driving results and change.
But informal leaders aren't always easy to spot. They don't necessarily have a sign on their door or a name tag on their chest that says they're a leader. They are often the ones that others go to for advice, feedback or support. They are the ones who have a good network, relevant knowledge and a strong personal presence. They are the ones who have the trust and respect of their colleagues.
Informal leadership is about gaining influence without formal power
Imagine you have an idea for how your organization or team can solve a challenge, improve a process or create new opportunities for development and growth. Imagine that you know who needs to be on board to achieve the goal and maybe even how the task and work should be organized. However, you don't have a formal leadership position or title that gives you the right to decide or delegate, formally speaking. So how do you get your colleagues and your boss and perhaps other managers to listen to you, support you and follow you?
The answer is informal leadership.
Informal leadership is the art of leading without formal power. It's about creating influence and authority that's not based on a title, but on relationships, experience, expertise and behaviors that are tailored to the situations you're in - and the people you're with. It's about building trust, respect and followership among those you work with and depend on.