Yellow Highlight – sa PPT
Hindi nakahighlight – pwede gamitin for explanation
What Is Informal Leadership?
Informal leadership is the ability of a person to influence the behavior of others by means other
than formal authority conferred by the organization through its rules and procedures. Informal
leadership is basically any type of leadership that is not based upon formal authority. Formal
leaders are able to exert both informal and formal power, but no informal leader has formal
organizational authority to lead. Nevertheless, informal leaders do influence members of an
organization and can be even more effective than formal leaders in certain circumstances.
Informal leaders have several bases of power. They are able to use referent power; in other
words, they lead by example. An informal leader can also use expert power: others seek them
out for knowledge and skills no one else in the organization possesses. They can also use reward
power where they may praise and recognize members of the organization for a job well done.
On the other hand, they can't use legitimate, or formal, power because their authority has not
been formally sanctioned by the organization. Moreover, they cannot use coercive power much
because effective use of coercive power tends to require that it be wielded by someone with
legitimate authority to carry out the rewards or punishments sanctioned by the organization. One
exception to this general rule may be the ability of an informal group leader to apply peer
pressure to a misbehaving group member to conform to group norms by the threat of ostracism.
WHAT IS AN INFORMAL LEADER?
An informal leader is someone within an organization or work unit who, by virtue of how he or
she is perceived by his peers (or others in the organization) is seen as worthy of paying attention
to, or following. The major thing that distinguishes an informal leader from a formal one is that
the informal leader does NOT hold a position of power or formal authority over those that
choose to follow him or her.
TRAITS OF AN INFORMAL LEADER
Under a microscope, Informal leaders tend to have a few things in common:
They’re good at building relationships. And they make friends with lots of different
kinds of people—they’re not cliquey.
They deeply understand the organization. They know how things work. They know
what the culture is, they understand the leaders, the history, and the unspoken rules. They
know what battles are worth fighting and which are not. They share their knowledge with
others generously and without hubris or fanfare. As an example, Marion, had grown up
living in the city where my friend was working and was happy to be a reference for the
social customs and recommend the best places to hang out.
They help without ulterior motives. They see the work that needs to be done and they
do it. They’re not looking to be rewarded, and the offer to help isn’t leverage to gain
power.
They’re early adopters. They tend to be the first one to know about new tools and
technologies, which signals to everyone else that they’re not following anyone.
Four Types Of Authentic Informal Leaders
Pride builders are master motivators of other people, and catalysts for improvement around
them. Often found in the role of line manager, they understand the motivations of those with
whom they work. They know how to foster a sense of excellence among others. They can be
found at every level of a hierarchy; some of the most effective pride builders are close to the
front line, where they can interact directly with customers as well as employees. Pride builders
often have powerful insights about the culture and about what behaviors are likely to lead to
improvement.
Exemplars are role models. They bring vital behaviors or skills to life, and others pay attention
to them. They are well respected and are effective peer influencers in the middle and senior
management cohorts.
Networkers are hubs of personal communication within the organization. They know many
people, and communicate freely and openly with them. They serve as links among people who
might not otherwise share information or ideas. If you want to see an idea travel virally through
an enterprise, enlist your networkers.
Early adopters enthusiastically latch onto and experiment with new technologies, processes,
and ways of working. Involve them in your performance pilots, or whenever you are trying to
demonstrate impact quickly.
Why authentic informal leaders are key to an organization’s emotional health
This is no easy task. Leaders are often too far removed from the front lines to understand the
feelings and emotions at work. Sometimes, emotions can simply get lost in the complexity of
managing a crisis. But leaders have an important resource that, if developed, can generate
organizational antibodies: authentic informal leaders (AILs). These people possess and exhibit
certain leadership strengths, often without having formal titles or authority. AILs include those
who model and teach desired behaviors (exemplars), those who connect with people across the
organization (networkers), and those who instinctively link peers’ positive feelings with day-to-
day activities (pride builders).
AILs have excellent emotional sensing and energizing capabilities. They naturally detect feelings
at play in any organizational challenge, capture and create positive emotions, and know how to
influence and encourage people to engage in important behaviors. Management can mobilize
them as a powerful resource to learn and identify how to respond in moments of crises. When
appropriate, they can also counterbalance negative feelings.
REFERENCES:
https://www.zendesk.com/blog/informal-leadership-person-work-others-look/
http://leadertoday.org/faq/informalleader.htm
https://study.com/academy/lesson/informal-leadership-definition-lesson-quiz.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/strategyand/2016/02/28/four-types-of-authentic-informal-
leaders/?sh=140df4f47244
https://www.strategy-business.com/article/Why-authentic-informal-leaders-are-key-to-
an-organizations-emotional-health
