Fostering Emergent Leadership: Bite Sized Insights on #IndiaHRChat

Leadership beyond confines of formal authority that manifests itself in specific situations and group dynamics.

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Blossoming of a leader from group who rises to situation, steps in, leads for a certain time and then goes back to normal.

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It is a situational (and often temporary) act of leadership beyond title, experience or authority.

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Emergent Leadership is central to success of groups, teams and orgs. Given a right environment, everyone can lead.

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Leadership is not just a position. It’s a role people play based on problem at hand, skills, attitude and initiative.

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Strong leadership qualities can emerge in any of us. Sometimes, out of our will. Other times, out of circumstances.

Emergent Leadership dissolves the boundary between traditional top-down leaders and others.

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It changes the pattern of traditional leadership from centralized authority to distributed one.

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The role of a leader-by-authority: create a network of relationships, empower, inspire, facilitate, catalyze & serve.

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Traditional leaders have a responsibility to build an ecosystem and then identify emergent leadership qualities.

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Traditional leadership is important, only when it fosters a culture (in team/in org) where people step up to lead.

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Traditional leaders have to give up the notion of power, for power is with those who do stuff.

In a networked/connected/virtual world, emergent leadership is critical to success of organizations.

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Because best ideas often come from those who ‘do’ stuff.

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Noticing patterns of emergent leadership can provide important clues to build your leadership pipeline.

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A team cannot afford to rely on ideas/insights of only one person (traditional leader), if they wish to succeed.

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A culture of emergent leadership allows people to position their skills where they are most useful.

Emergent leadership is about group influence – Social skills is #1 trait to look for.

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Emergent leaders are defined by their level of ownership, cognitive abilities, initiative, drive and commitment.

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Their ability to collaborate with others. Humility to step back when someone else steps up to lead.

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“Responsible ego” – they know they don’t have to come up with winning idea in all situations. wapo.st/1doGwZX

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Constant quest to learn, being open to new ideas, ability to contribute to ideas from others.

Orgs have to propagate the concept of leadership as a role and not as a position or title.

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Establish a shared vision and create a robust structure that supports emergent leadership.

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Carefully hiring people who are: motivated, collaborative, people centric with a leadership instinct.

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Create smaller autonomous teams with flat organization to eliminate unnecessary layers of mgmt that stifle productivity.

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Set precedence by recognizing and rewarding emergent leadership behaviors.

Define outcomes clearly and clarify values. Beyond that, eliminate roadblocks and support without directing the workflow.

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Maintain healthy levels of communication in the team to create a matrix of relationships that supports emerging ideas.

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Emergent Leadership requires a culture of trust, a constant feedback loop and healthy two way communication.

HR is the driver of the cultural shift required to foster emergent leadership.

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HR sets the precedence on the need to support emergent leadership within the org.

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HR plays a pivotal role in changing perceptions about traditional leadership and raising awareness about new ways to lead.