Informal Leadership

One of my favorite topics is leadership, more specifically, informal leadership. It can be a powerful means of strengthening an organization, and it might be more common than you think. My interest in this topic grew as I had multiple discussions about it on my podcast with Chuck Haggard. He was able to define what I had seen and what worked.

The idea of informal leadership is widely recognized, even if it is rarely named. It is the glue that keeps organizations functional. Informal leaders model standards. They reduce chaos through competence. They normalize professionalism. They quietly shape culture in real time.

Think about the non-supervisory coworker who regularly saves the day, the one whose arrival brings relief. Why? What are they doing differently? What do they know? How did they get there? What can you do to emulate this?

Informal leadership is displayed by those who guide others without having rank or greater authority. Sometimes it is direct coaching. Often, it is simply doing the right thing consistently enough that others adopt it as their own template.

What does it look like? Calm decision-making under stress. Consistency. Competence. Ethical behavior. Initiative without drama. This behavior strengthens strong supervisory and rank structures and stabilizes weak ones. It does not require authority. It requires character.

Leadership is a behavior, not a position. Real leadership is demonstrated competence and integrity that others voluntarily align with, regardless of title.